Destiny Challenged
by Amora
Summary: *UPDATED!!!* How far will Syaoran go for his angel? Even after Fate threatens to rip them apart...
1. His Feelings

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters etc. Does this even do anything?  
  
*Keep in mind that in that everyone is 17. In other words they have matured greatly ;)  
  
Destiny Challenged  
Chapter 1  
Amora  
  
  
  
His Feelings  
  
Syaoran had never moved so fast in his life. The scene in front of him was horrifying but he kept running to the place where it all ends, Tokyo Tower. The sky suddenly turns pitch black and lightning strikes the nearby powerlines and blacks out the entire city. Suddenly the ground shakes and Syaoran loses his footing and falls. Clouds part and a portal materializes just above the tower. The steel supports of the tower bend and break as they are sucked into the void. Nearby buildings are torn apart as Syaoran holds onto a steel railing for dear life.  
  
'Stay away from her!'  
  
The portal begins to grow larger and everything in the vincity is thrown in. Cars, people, and everything else that resembles civilization disappear. Syaoran takes out his sword, thrusts it into the concrete sidewalk as a handle, and stands defiantly.  
  
"Never! Nothing can change the way I feel about her!"  
  
'Young fool...nothing can change fate. You were never meant to be. Continue and it will mean your death.'  
  
The concrete sidewalk cracks and Syaoran loses his support. With nothing to hold on to, he feels himself pulled into the portal and with one final breath yells out one name that came to mind.  
  
"SAKURA!!!"  
  
***  
  
Syaoran wakes up in a cold sweat and falls off the bed bumping his head on a nearby chair.   
  
"Ow! Shit..." he mumbles after realizing he had the dream again. The same one that plagued him at least once every week. Looking around, he begins to take comfort in the familiar surroundings of his room in the Li mansion. Glancing at the clock he winced at the time. 3 am. Another night of sleep wasted. He didn't even bother trying to go to sleep again. Personal experience told him he couldn't. Sighing he walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Feeling refreshed and awake, he picked up his sword from his nightstand and walked outside.   
  
Everywhere he looked was green. From the grass to the leaves illuminated by moonlight. His favorite color since childhood. Partially because it reminded him. Of her. Those beautiful emerald eyes that sparkled in the sun or glowed under the moon. And her smile that shocked him to the core. The one that removed every emotional barrier he put around himself. Suddenly he caught himself thinking about her again.  
  
'Kuso! Anta baka! She's probably in love with some guy that moved there after you left. Probably hates you for not saying goodbye' Syaoran thought.   
  
With that he started his midnight sword training. One that he had become familiar with in the past few months. Over the years he had grown more powerful and now could produce a clone of himself for a short while. One that matched his speed, strength, and even technique.   
  
"Tian Xia Xiao Ren!" he chanted and his green aura flared. Before him stood his mirror image with the same clothes and sword he had. Without a second to think Syaoran sidestepped himself as his clone flew by sword first. Every attack was real. Every cut was real. If he lost to himself then he would die. Syaoran knew he had no advantages physically or magically. The only thing he had on his side was his heart. The will to live and see his cherry blossom again. Gritting his teeth he threw himself into the battle.  
  
The two Syaorans were evenly matched in every aspect. Their slashes and blocks were a blur even to a veteran eye. Neither backed down and they were tiring out at the same rate. Both had tried to be the agressor and both eventually failed. Syaoran ran in for an attack but saw the clone's blade coming for his head. With no time for a block, he jumped back as fast as he could. The sword missed his neck but caught him on the cheek leaving a deep cut.   
  
"Ahhhhh!!" Syaoran screamed in pain and fell to the floor. The clone moved in for the kill and thrusted the sword for Syaoran's head.   
  
This is it...No! I won't let it end like this! I have to see her again. Even if it is from far away!  
  
Thoughts ran rampant around his head but it only took a fraction of a second for Syaoran to react to his present situation. As the sword descended, he rolled to the side an inch away from the blade. Acting on instinct, Syaoran kicked his clone's feet from under him and with superhuman speed shoved his weapon into the back of his counterpart before he fell.  
  
No sooner had he done this the clone disappeared and Syaoran collapsed on the ground panting for oxygen. From the distance, a shadow watched this in amusement.  
  
'Well done my little wolf. Perhaps you are not as weak as you appear to be.'  
  
***  
  
'I'm getting so pathetic. Can't even beat my own clone without getting injured.'  
  
Syaoran walked down to his room and prepared to patch his cheek up. He knew healing magic but couldn't use it on himself. He would have to get one of his sisters to heal him. With another glance at the clock he went and took another shower. It was 6 in the morning and the elders wanted to see him at 8.   
  
Syaoran smirked as he thought of the Li clan elders. They were 6 old men who had enjoyed their position even before he was born. They wielded almost absolute power over any business of the clan. Nobody dared to oppose them. Well almost nobody. His mother was one that never agreed to what the elders said. She was the one person who Syaoran looked up to when he was little and continued to even now. She commanded respect and would have been an elder herself if the last clan leader hadn't objected because she was a woman.   
  
'Well that's all going to change. The elders can't use me like the last clan leader. I'll make sure my mother and sisters get their due positions as heads of the clan.'  
  
At exactly 8, the elders summoned for Syaoran. As he walked to the meeting room, he passed by his eldest sister.  
  
"Good morning Xiao Lang!" Fuutie said then exclaimed as she saw his cheek. "What did you do to yourself?"  
  
"I beat myself up" Syaoran stated as if reporting the weather. He saw her annoyed expression and sighed. "If you must know, I dueled with the clone I created and he gave me this."  
  
"You know you shouldn't do that by yourself. You could have been killed! But anyway let me heal it so you can look presentable to the elders." Fuutie offered. A blue aura surrounded her and her fingertips started to glow where she touched Syaoran's cheek. When the cut was gone her aura faded and so did the glow.  
  
"Thanks. But I really don't care about looking presentable to those old power hungry bastards." Syaoran whispered. He only talked liked that with his sisters and mother. To anyone else, doing that would be too risky.  
  
"That may be true but until you become the Li clan head, even you are in danger of their influence. Be careful of what you do and say Xiao Lang. You could be cast out of the clan you worked so hard and sacrificed so much for." Fuutie stated. She was one of the few people who knew of Syaoran's feelings for the Card Mistress and how he threw them away for the sake of the clan.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't do anything irrational that would put anybody at risk."  
  
"That's good to hear. Your other sisters and our mother are all proud of you. We support your decisions."   
  
Syaoran gave his eldest sister one of his rare smiles. Politics had ripped many families apart to the point of killing each other and he was determined not to let that happen to his own family. They were very close and Syaoran wanted to keep it that way. He said goodbye to his sister and walked off to meet with the elders.  
  
"Elders, Li Xiao Lang is here to meet with you," a servant informed the six men who were sitting on one side of the table.  
  
"Send him in," one of them replied. "You are dismissed."  
  
The servant bowed and left. Moments later Syaoran came in and looked around. The table was in the center of a spacious and highly decorated traditional meeting room. It was extremely lopsided as 6 occupied chairs were on one side and one on the other side that was obviously meant for him. He bowed and took a seat.  
  
"Greetings Elders," Syaoran said in his most formal voice. "You sent for me?"  
  
"Ah yes, Li Xiao Lang. As you know it was planned that on your 18th birthday, you would be coronated the head of the Li clan." one of the men started immediately. "However, you were tested on your abilities of whether or not you are worthy of this position. This was bringing the clow cards back into the hands of the Li. A mission in which you...failed."  
  
All 6 elders stared intensly into one pair of amber eyes, searching for any type of emotion. They found none. Rigid training over the years had taught Syaoran to completely hide any emotion to the outside world. Only one person could break through the barrier Syaoran had set up.  
  
'And I'll never see her again.'  
  
He calmly waited for them to speak again. He had no doubt where this was going. They were giving him another test that they thought he couldn't pass. A task that was impossible in their opinion. Syaoran groaned inwardly as he saw their plot to try and remove him from becoming leader of the clan.   
  
"Since you didn't complete your first mission, another will be assigned to you. This is to assure that you are worthy enough to lead the Li clan. Your mission will be to protect the one you lost the cards to. The Card Mistress herself." the head elder said with an unnoticeable smile tugging the corners of his mouth.  
  
Syaoran was beyond surprised as he heard what his mission was and it took every bit of self control to appear calm and collected. Inside his mind the pros and cons of seeing Sakura again were being played out and the cons were winning. The thoughts of her hating him were almost too much to bear but then he saw the smirk on every elder's face. No they wouldn't toy with him. Not now. Not ever. Not if he could help it. He would discard his personal feelings so the clan could be rid of these 6 power hungry old men.  
  
"What am I supposed to protect her from?" Syaoran asked as calmly as possible.  
  
"We sense an evil lurking about Japan. Presently we have no idea what it is but we do know that it is targeting her. Since the cards were originally ours, we want them to be kept safe regardless of who posesses them. Keep your eyes open and make sure she comes to no harm. That is your mission. You are now dismissed."  
  
Syaoran bowed and exited quickly.  
  
'Just as I thought. Not one word of good luck or be careful' Syaoran smirked as he walked down the hall to get advice from his mother.  
  
Passing a window, Syaoran saw a cherry blossom tree in full bloom and his heart ached. It reminded him of his Sakura. What would she be liked now? Beautiful no doubt. His mind wandered to her smile and how much it could brighten his day when she smiled at him. Quickly, Syaoran shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had lost his chance to tell her. Silently he cursed at himself for being a coward.  
  
No sooner had Syaoran turned and stepped from the room, a shadow appeared in front of the 6 elders. She materialized into a solid being and the men couldn't help but gawk. The woman who appeared couldn't be described as beautiful; she was absolutely stunning. Blonde hair cascaded down to her mid-back in a way that would take the most sophisticated salons hours to perfect. Her piercing blue eyes were icy as her mouth turned upward into a seductive smirk as she realized the attention she was getting. She wore a skin tight body suit that showed every dangerous and used it to her advantage. She knew by the looks on their faces that they wouldn't resist.  
  
"Did you tell the Little Wolf what I told you to?" the woman asked as she scanned the faces of the most powerful men in the Li clan. She grinned in satisfaction when she noted that they all possessed the same appreciative eye that all men got when they saw her.  
  
"Y-Yes we did Apsu-sama" the eldest one replied hesitantly. "Are you sure you can get rid of Li Xiao Lang?"  
  
At this question she just laughed.   
  
"Of course. Do not worry about about that. You all shall retain your powers as the head of your clan in return for your services. No man can resist me. The Little Wolf shall not become an exception. All who oppose me tend to...die"  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Apsu was some main evil sorceress who could control fate. I'm not sure where I remember her from. It could be in a fanfic piece or another anime series. Gomen if this is from a fic one of you wrote and if you want me to change the name then please tell me.  
  
Japanese translations  
kuso-damnit (I think it's Syaoran's favorite phrase)  
anta baka-you dumbass 


	2. Old Flames

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters. Has anyone ever been sued before for a fic?  
  
*Everyone is 17 in this fic. Keep in mind that they have changed over the years.  
  
*There is no drinking age in China.  
  
Destiny Challenged  
Chapter 2  
Amora  
  
  
Old Flames   
  
******Sexual Contents******  
  
  
Syaoran sighed and drove out of the mansion and into town. The talk with his mother did not help matters much. He was still bound to the words of the Li elders whether he wanted to or not. He knew they were deliberately trying to block him ascending to clan leader.   
  
Slowly, the neon lights of the Hong Kong skyline were coming into view. Nothing appealed to his intrest much and he continued driving until he reached his favorite thinking spot. The view of the harbor was incredible. The entire city was lit up at this time of night and it was peaceful enough way out here that Syaoran had time to ponder his situation. In 2 days he would be on a plane to Japan. The most prominant memories of his childhood were definitly of the old card capturing days with Sakura, Daidouji, and Hiiragazawa.   
  
Laying on the hood of his black Jeep Cherokee, Syaoran gazed at the stars and thought about his life in Japan.  
  
********  
  
6 years ago  
  
Syaoran walked down the road from his apartment to school and let his mind wonder to a certain emerald eyed angel. Without realizing, he walked past the school gates when he heard someone call out to him.  
  
"Li-kun! Where are you going?"  
  
Looking up, Syaoran saw the object of his daydream wave at him with a cheerful smile. Realizing his mistake, he could feel the blood rushing to his face. Looking down and mumbling something incoherent, he made his way back to the gate and joined the two girls.  
  
"Are you all right? You seem distant today." Sakura wondered as she gave him another smile. Syaoran instantly turned 3 shades redder.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"So where were you headed Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked when they were entering the building. "Were you thinking about something? Or was it someone?"  
  
"You know what they say about love and idiots," Eriol claimed as he appeared from seemingly nowhere from Syaoran's point of view.  
  
"Hoe?"  
  
"Shut up Hiiragazawa!" Syaoran shouted as he gave Eriol his glare of death. Tomoyo just smiled knowingly.  
  
In Math  
  
"Li-kun, please come up here and solve this problem," the teacher asked as he wrote a problem on the board.  
  
Syaoran nodded and went to the front to solve the problem given to him. After a few steps he wrote the answer on the board and went back to his seat.  
  
"Very good Li-kun," the teacher said proudly and then went to write another problem.  
  
"Wow! You're so smart Li-kun!" Sakura exclaimed as he sat down.  
  
"Arigatou," he mumbled and blushed.  
  
"Hoe? Are you sick Li-kun? Your face is kind of red."  
  
He blushed even more and looked away. "N-No i'm fine."  
  
"Hohohoho!" Tomoyo laughed at their present situation causing Syaoran to turn and glare at her.  
  
********  
  
Syaoran scowled as he remembered the times he was too embarassed to say how he truly felt.  
  
'I'm so pathetic'  
  
2 hours had gone by as Syaoran sat there thinking. Finally fed up, he decided to go somewhere and drove to the nearest bar. It was a place he had visited one or two times a month and he became friends with the bartender.  
  
"Hey Xiao Lang! How's it going?" the bartender asked.  
  
"I'm not dead yet. Anyway give me the usual Gizmo Grinder please. I need a break from reality right now."  
  
"Ok give me a second."  
  
Syaoran tried not to think about his duties right now. Usually if he thought too much it gave him severe headaches and that wasn't what he wanted right now. The bartender returned with his drink and he sipped it slowly as they chatted.  
  
A sudden commotion started by the table at the corner. Curiosity got to the best of Syaoran and he glanced over. A guy his age that was throughly drunk was holding a girl on his lap that obviously didn;t want to be there. Syaoran was ready to shrug it off when he did a doubletake.  
  
The girl looked so much like Sakura. She had reddish-brown hair and green eyes. She was tall but still a few inches shorter than his 6'1 frame. Gritting his teeth, Syaoran made his way over to them.  
  
"Hey you! Let the girl go. I don't think she wants to give you a lap dance."  
  
The drunk guy sneered as he roughly pushed the girl aside and stood up. Wobbling over to Syaoran he almost tripped on his own feet.  
  
"What's it to -hic- you pal? -hic-" the drunk said. "You gotta pro-hic-blem then lets talk."  
  
Syaoran easily caught the fist that was thrown at him and pushed it aside. The next few punches and kicks were also uneffective and Syaoran finished the fight with one quick blow to the temple knocking hin out.  
  
"Are you ok?" Syaoran asked the green eyed girl. She nodded and suddenly hugged him. Syaoran was taken back but returned it. He gave her one of his rare smiles and she blushed. Then he noticed the silent pleading in her eyes. She wanted him. He could tell.  
  
'I've been obsessed with the same girl for 7 years and she probably doesn't remember that I exist'  
  
Acting on impulse he looked at the bartender and gave a look that said "I'll pay for the drink later". The bartender grinned and waved him off.  
  
Silently, he led her out of the bar. She shivered at the cold and he held her close.  
  
"So what's your name?" he asked breaking the silence.  
  
"Jin Mei" she replied. "You're a good fighter."  
  
"Thanks. I've been training for years. I'm Li Xiao Lang."  
  
They walked in silence until he stopped and pointed to a unconspicuous building. She nodded and they headed inside.  
  
After they paid the attendant, they took a key and found the room. It was decorated extremely well but neither cared too much.   
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Syaoran asked after a few moments of silence. She nodded meekly and blushed.  
  
"Alright. If you say so..."   
  
Syaoran leaned closer and pulled her body to his and they kissed. It was delicate at first but passion grew immense after a few seconds. Finally the lack of air forced them to break and he slowly removed her dress. It zipped down easily and within seconds fell in a heap by the bed. He tasted her neck and slowly deposited her on the bed removing his own shirt.   
  
No words were spoken as he kissed her everywhere and continued to removed her silky undergarments. Both continued to enjoy the caresses until they could take no more. Joining as one, they were driven to new heights of extacy and gave themselves to each other over and over again.  
  
Hours later, they collapsed with sheer exaustion. Both throughly satisfied, they fell asleep.  
  
********  
  
Syaoran woke up with a start as he felt something warm next to him. Looking to his right, he saw a girl that so resembled his angel that would never love him back. Quickly he got up and put on his clothes that were randomly tossed around the room.   
  
As soon as he left, Jin Mei opened her eyes and sat up slowly.   
Syaoran stared at her for a few seconds and she blinked.  
  
"You look so much like her. It's almost uncanny."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The girl I loved since I was 10. She meant everything to me even though she probably hates me now."  
  
"You're almost identical to my old love." Jin Mei said softly. "I guess our reasons are similar."  
  
Syaoran chuckled at the irony. So she saw someone in him too. That put both of them in the same boat. Then he realized something.  
  
"Oh shit! I forgot to use protection! I'm so sorry..." Syaoran said with a horrified look on his face. The consequences of forgetting were severe.  
  
"Don't worry Syaoran. I'm on the pill. Somehow I knew that I would meet you soon." She said and blushed.  
  
"Really?" Syaoran grinned. "Smart girl."   
  
He leaned in and kissed her softly as a finality. Both knew the odds of seeing each other again were close to zero.   
  
"I have to go now. I'll never forget you Jin Mei." Syaoran said softly. "Find the person you love most in life and never let go."  
  
She nodded slowly and got dressed. "I will Syaoran. Thank you for everything." She whispered and gave him a heartfelt smile. Soon both parted ways promising not to forget their time together.  
  
Syaoran walked to his car and drove home. On the way back, he reflected the past few hours. Jin Mei looked like Sakura so much it was almost scary. Perhaps that's why he had agreed to her. 7 years of unrequited feelings hurt more than anything else in his life. His lovemaking with Jin Mei had almost fulfilled his wildest dreams. The level of passion and intensity were unheard of. There was one thing missing however. The one thing that he yearned for above all others.   
  
The love.  
  
A single solitary tear slid down his cheek.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: According to one of my friends in Japan, love motels are very common. I don't know if they are in Hong Kong also but for the sake of the story I made it so. 


	3. Old Meets New

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Everyone is 17 and matured greatly.  
  
Destiny Challenged  
Chapter 3  
Amora  
  
  
  
Old Meets New  
  
*******Thursday*********  
  
"Wait up Sakura-chan!" a beautiful purple haired, amethyst eyed girl called to her best friend who was walking ahead of her. She was Tomoyo Daidouji, the Senior Class president, lead vocalist, and chief editor of the school's yearbook. Guys constantly asked her out, but she politely refused every last one of the offers. That was until one Eriol Hiiragizawa did the asking. The mutual respect turned into something else as their knack of plotting got along wonderfully.  
"Hi Tomoyo-chan. I thought you had to stay afterschool today?"  
"I did but Eriol-kun said something important came up and the meeting was canceled. It's been a while since I've spoken to you. What's up?"  
"Not much. I've just been spending time with Jutsun." Sakura stated. Jutsun was Sakura's boyfriend for 3 years now. Tall, browned haired, and green eyed, he was in Sakura's opinion the second most handsome guy she had ever seen. Being the best soccer player of Seijou High School added to his popularity and she was flattered when he asked her out.  
"Well I'm glad we could talk. Since we haven't been seeing each other, how about us going to the fair on Saturday? We could bring the guys along and make it a double date!" Tomoyo suggested.  
"Sure. I'll ask Jutsun if he wants to go. When on Saturday?"  
"Meet us at noon. I've got to go. See ya!"  
"Bye" Sakura replied and continued to walk down the street. A soft wind blew and a few strands of her auburn hair flew into her face. From an outsiders point of view, she would seem like your average happy teenage girl. She was popular, had a great boyfriend, and not a single worry in the world. On the inside, however, her heart yearned for something she didn't comprehend. A pair of amber eyes continued to invade her thoughts as she turned the corner to go home.  
*******Friday*********  
  
"Flight number 196 for Tokyo Japan now boarding at gate 13!" a speaker blared throughout the terminal.  
"Well that's you Xiao Lang." Fuutie said as she hugged her little brother. "Complete your mission and regain your true position among our clan."  
Syaoran had a determined look on his face. "Don't worry about that. I won't let you down."   
  
"Just don't let your emotions blind you. Always use common sense and the head on your shoulder. I'll miss you Xiao Lang."  
  
"I'll be back soon." Syaoran said while slinging his belongings over his shoulder. With a final wave, he turned around and boarded the plane.  
  
  
  
  
"This food sucks!"   
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes for the countless time at the annoying person sitting next to him. He jokingly thought about taking his sword and cutting the guy's vocal chords out.  
  
"Hey flyer dude! My food is heated unevenly, the sauce tastes like crap, and my drink isn't here!" the man complained and then turned to Syaoran. "Hey buddy, is your food ok? Lend a fellow traveler in need some of that chicken."   
  
Syaoran groaned inwardly as he relented his unfinished meal to his left. Airplane food left him with no appetite anyway.  
  
"Thanks man!" the guy said and proceeded to take massive bites out of the imitation poultry. "Hey! *chew* dis isn *chew* haf as *chew* bad *chew* *swallow* as mine was."  
  
Syaoran shook his head internally as pieces of food flew from the guy's mouth as he spoke.  
  
"Oh well, at least that filled me up. I'm Harry by the way. I'm from America." he said holding out his hand.  
  
"Li." Syaoran said simply and shook the offered hand.  
  
"Nice to meet ya Li! It's my first time going to Japan. What about you?"  
  
"I haven't been there for 7 years. I guess I have to find a place to stay." Syaoran replied.  
  
"Really? Well it's a coincidence that I haven't got a place either. I'm supposed to be living with my uncle but his house got repossessed. Say, you want to be roomates for a while until we each get situated in Japan?"  
  
Syaoran stared increduously at the blonde haired man to the left of him but then thought about it. He really didn't plan that well for his trip and forgot to get an apartment somewhere. This was an offer that would help him for the time being.  
  
"Ok." Syaoran said. "I'm going to be in Tomoeda though."  
  
"That's ok. I really just wanted to visit anywhere in Japan. So Tomoeda it is then buddy!" Harry said enthusiastically as he slapped Syaoran on the back.  
  
'What have I gotten myself into!'   
  
  
  
"Attention passengers! Prepare for landing at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The local time is 2:38 p.m. and it's a warm 25 degrees C outside. Please have all your immigration forms ready for the customs officers. Baggage claim will be on International #9. Thank you for flying with JAL."  
  
"Well that's our cue Li. Let's go." Harry said while hauling 4 enourmous suitcases out of the overhead storage compartment.   
  
"I thought you were only supposed to have 2 carryons?" Syaoran accused.  
  
Harry grinned sheepishly and quickly carried all his belongings off the plane nearly knocking over an old lady.  
  
'Deja vu' Syaoran thought grimly as he stepped into the airport.  
  
  
  
"What do you mean you lost my bag!" an enraged Harry screamed at a nearby airport personel. The employee was getting scared as were nearby travelers. Harry stood at least 5 inches taller than most of them and his green eyes turned 2 shades darker. Syaoran just stood nearby and smirked.  
  
"I-I'm sorry sir!" the employee stamered. "This could be a simple mistake! We'll reinburse you with cash if we don't find it!"  
  
"Well I'm in a hurry. That entire trunk was probably worth 77,500 yen."  
  
"We're on it sir!"  
  
As Harry and Syaoran walked out the airport, Harry was busy counting all the money for reinbursement.  
  
"So what was in that bag that was so important?" Syaoran asked.  
  
"WHAT bag?" Harry replied with a triumphant grin.  
  
  
  
After 12 failed attempts at getting a place to live, Syaoran was getting fed up.  
  
"Good evening!" the landlord greeted them.   
  
"We've been looking for a two bedroom apartment all over this town. Please tell me you have one open?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well you're just in luck. My last room up for rent. It'll be 200,000 yen per month if you guys want it though."  
  
"What! Are you insane? We don't have that kind of money!" Harry screamed.  
  
"Take it or leave it. Your choice."  
  
Syaoran just glared.  
  
"Uhh...well...on second thought you can have it for 175,000."  
  
He kept glaring.  
  
"U-um..how about 150,000?"  
  
*DEATH GLARE*  
  
"Alright! Alright! 100,000 yen! That's my final offer!!" the landlord screamed in panic.  
  
Syaoran continued to glare as he put out 75,000 yen daring him to refuse.  
  
The landlord sighed and held out the room keys. "I'll let you have it but don't tell ANYONE about this."  
  
Syaoran grabbed the keys and stormed off with his baggage.  
  
"Woah..." Harry whispered in wonder as he started to follow Syaoran.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a little boring but I had to get it out of the way. The plot thickens in the next chapter. Please review and tell me how I'm doing. Thanks!  
  
*Again all standard disclaimers apply. 


	4. Do Prophesies Come True?

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
Chapter 4  
Amora  
  
  
  
Do Prophesies Come True?  
  
  
  
******Saturday********  
  
  
A night on the floor of a bare apartment was not very enjoyable and Syaoran grumbled under his breath before waking up. Taking a look outside, he guessed that it was about 9 a.m. from the sun.  
  
'Kuso! I've got to get on with my mission.' After years of intense training, Syaoran learned to hide his aura from others with magic. 'It's better if she doesn't know I'm here. This way I can protect her without anyone interfering.'  
  
'Might as well change how I look. She's bound to recognize me if I don't do anything'  
  
With that, he went and bought himself some hair dye and colored contacts. On his way back, he saw something that startled him. Walking his way were none other than Eriol with his arm draped around Tomoyo's shoulder. Both seemed perfectly at peace.  
  
'So Daidouji and Hiiragizawa hooked up' Syaoran thought with a grin as he quickly hid from view behind a post. They walked past him without noticing and continued to chat.  
  
"When are we meeting Sakura-san and Jutsun-kun?" Eriol asked.  
  
"At noon Eriol-kun. It's gonna be a great double date with the four of us. The fair is awesome this time of the year!" Tomoyo replied.  
  
From his hiding spot, Syaoran cringed at the thought. 'So she has a boyfriend. That makes it all the more important that she doesn't recognize me.'  
  
As Tomoyo and Eriol walk out of view, Syaoran steps out from behind the post. Looking sadly up at the sky for a second, he feels more determination than ever to finish the mission.  
  
  
Arriving back at the makeshift house, Syaoran proceeds to change his looks. After finishing, he walked out into the living room.  
  
"Hey Li!" Harry says when he hears the door open. "I'll go look f- What the hell did you do to yourself?!"  
  
A black haired, dark blue eyed Syaoran stared back at him.  
  
"I had a makeover."  
  
"I'll say. I don't recognize you. Anyway as I was saying before, I'll find some couches and tables for this place. Not to mention beds and a TV so I'll be busy today. You got any plans?"  
  
"Yeah I got a lot of things I need to take care of. I'll be back tonight ok?"  
  
"Right." Harry said simply and returned to look at ads.  
  
  
******That afternoon******  
  
  
  
"Hurry up Sakura or we're gonna be late!"  
  
Sakura turned and looked at her brown haired boyfriend. They were supposed to meet Tomoyo and Eriol at the park in 5 minutes but she had remembered her purse halfway there.  
  
"Be right there!" She called out. Racing upstairs, she flew by a napping Kero who had just stuffed himself with the biggest chocolate cake ever. After grabbing her purse, she ran downstairs and out the door once more.  
  
"Come on!" Grabbing the hand of her boyfriend, she pulled him along at marathon speed to the park.  
  
A record of 10 minutes later, they arrived panting and out of breath.  
  
"So there you are! You guys are late yet again!" Tomoyo chided as she got off the bench with Eriol in tow.  
  
"S-sorry. I forgot my purse halfway here and ran to go get it." Sakura panted. "So you guys ready to go to that f-"  
  
*growl*  
  
Sakura blushed bright red after hearing her stomach.   
  
"Uh sorry about that." She said sheepishly. "I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast."  
  
"That's ok Sakura-chan. Why don't we go get something to eat first?" Tomoyo suggested.  
  
"I'm all for it!" Jutsun exclaimed. "Chinese?"  
  
At the mention on 'Chinese' Sakura's heart ached for reasons that she didn't understand. She tried playing it off by nodding vigorously.  
  
  
Minutes later, the four arrived at the closest Chinese restaurant, Li's Golden Buddha. Sakura shook her head at the strange thoughts associated with the name of the restaurant.  
  
'I'm going insane! What's wrong with me?' she thought desparately.  
  
As they all took a seat, the waiter came up and handed them 4 menus. Sakura took one look at the front cover and gasped. It said: Year of the Wolf. Below it was an adorable picture of a wolf cub.  
  
The waiter noticed her gasp and mistook her meaning. "Cute isn't it? In my country they are called Xiao Lang. They are extremely loyal to the pack and would sacrifice themselves for the common good.  
  
Sakura nodded and repeated the word. "Xiao Lang..."  
  
"Would you like to order now?" the waiter asked politely.  
  
"Sure." answered Tomoyo. "I'll have Wonton soup. Eriol-kun?"  
  
"I'll have some Kung Pao Chicken. Jutsun-kun?"  
  
"Umm...how about some Mongolian Beef? What about you Sakura?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Sakura?" Jutsun asked worriedly.  
  
"...hun? Oh yeah. Uhh..I really don't know. What's good?"  
  
"Today's specialty is the Hong Kong platter. Is that alright?"   
  
Sakura could only nod. 'Hong Kong...'  
  
"And what would you all like to drink?"  
  
"Coke."  
  
"Tea."  
  
"Sake."  
  
"How about a rootbeer float?"  
  
"Of course. The only icecream we have at the moment is chocolate. Is that ok ma'am?" the waiter asked.  
  
"Chocolate...is fine." Sakura said.  
  
"Thank you very much. I'll be back shortly."  
  
The four chatted as they waited for their food. Well actually only three as Sakura seemed preoccupied. She barely registered when her food arrived.  
  
"Hey Sakura-chan, I thought you were hungry? The food is here." Tomoyo said.  
  
"Thanks Tomoyo-chan." Sakura replied. She barely spoke a word during the entire time and didn't listen to the other's conversations.  
  
After finishing the meal, the waiter brought out the bill and 4 fortune cookies.   
  
"I got the bill." Tomoyo offered. "Everyone grab a fortune!"  
  
"Thank's Tomoyo-chan. You really don;t have to." Sakura said.  
  
"Nonsense. It was my treat. Now I'll go first." Tomoyo replied as she opened her cookie. "'One that lives off of another's life often does not have one themself.' What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I'll go next." Eriol volunteered. "'Manipulation is a work of the devil.' We'll I'll be..."  
  
"My turn." Jutsun said. "'No matter how hard you try, some things are meant to slip away.' What the hell is that!?"  
  
Sakura mutely grabbed a cookie and opened it. "Someone from your past will come crashing into your life once more." Suddenly she Sakura grew pale. Her mind raced with thoughts of the past hour.  
  
'Chinese, Li, Wolf, Xiao Lang, Hong Kong, Chocolate, from my past...SYAORAN! Oh my god! I still love him...'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: No action yet but there will be. Please review and tell me how I'm doing. Thanks!  
  
*All standard disclaimers apply. 


	5. Carnival Disasters

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
Carnival Disasters  
  
*******Under Tokyo Tower********  
  
"Well what do you have to report Kiryle?" Apsu demanded of her most trusted subordinate.  
  
"Li Syaoran has ventured to Tomoeda just as planned Apsu-sama. He has rented an apartment with some American who is also travelling. We had a hard time tracking him due to him hiding his magical aura." Kiryle stated.  
  
"I see. He may be on to us. If he does somehow vanish, just attack the one named Sakura Kinomoto and that should lure him out. It is his mission to protect her."  
  
"Understood Apsu-sama. The one you spoke of is going to the fair today with three of her friends. One of them being Eriol Hiiragizawa. Should I attempt anything?"  
  
"Send out Cannibus to wreak havoc on their little group. Have some fun but make sure you don't kill any of them. I wish to toy with all of them later." Apsu requested and then disappeared.  
  
Kiryle smiled to himself.  
  
"This is going to be fun," he said to himself. Walking down the main hall, he spotted Cannibus sleeping near the main entrance of the fort. It's huge doglike body was moving up and down as it slept.  
  
"Wake up ya lazy mutt!" Kiryle shouted at the beast as he kicked it awake. Cannibus growled and snarled but held back from attacking. From previous experiences, it knew it wouldn't last long against Kiryle.  
  
"That's more like it. Now I have something for you to do. Go terrorize the Tomoeda festival. You can kill anyone you want except for those with magic."  
  
Cannibus snarled in hesitant agreement and ran out of the room.  
  
*******Saturday afternoon*******  
  
"Hey Li! There's a carnival in town. A good chance to meet some girls!"  
  
Syaoran shook his head at his new American friend. It didn't surprise him that Harry had brought up the topic of the fair. There were posters on every street corner and it was advertised at least twice an hour on every station. He really didn't want to go but there was nothing else to do. His mother made him start school on Monday. "It will further your position as the head of our clan." she had said.  
  
'Sakura's going to be there. Guess I can go and watch over her too.' Syaoran thought at the request. "Alright. I have nothing better to do. Give me a minute."  
  
Syaoran quickly went and changed into a pair of black pants and black shirt that clung onto his muscular frame. Putting on a pair of sunglasses he looked VERY sexy and mysterious.  
  
"Looking sharp. So who are you trying to impress?" Harry joked.  
  
"Hmph. Whatever. Let's go." came the reply.  
  
  
  
"4 tickets please." Tomoyo told the attendant. Since it was her idea to come here she was paying for it.  
  
"Thanks for paying for all of us." Sakura said. Taking a look around, she realized how popular this carnival really was. The place was packed with people lining up for every event and ride. Little kids were running around having the time of their lives.  
  
Suddenly a hand grabbed Sakura's shoulder from behind. Turning around, she saw a giant gorilla bearing a toothy grin at her. She screamed. The man in the costume was probably more scared than she was at her sudden outburst and quickly let go of her.  
  
"I'm sorry miss! I didn't mean to scare you like that." the man apoligized.  
  
Sakura blushed when she realized everyone within 100 feet of her was staring at her. How silly she must have looked being terrified of someone in a costume. Some other people were snickering but Jutsun gave them evil glares that shut them up. Seeing that his girlfriend was embarrassed, he took her hand and led her to another part of the park.  
  
"Are you ok Sakura?" Jutsun asked gently.  
  
"I'm fine." she replied. It just wasn't her day to have fun. Memories of her past flooded in her mind and on top of that, she had just made a fool of herself in front of hundreds of complete strangers. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"That's not all I'm asking about. You've been distant today. First of all at the restaurant and then now. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Sakura said trying to be convincing. 'I'm sorry Jutsun' she thought sadly. 'There are some places in my heart that even you can't access'  
  
Suddenly her thoughts were interupted by an ear-piercing scream.  
  
**********Somewhere else in the carnival***********  
  
"This better be worth it." Syaoran complained bitterly. "I'm not exactly rich and these tickets cost a fortune."  
  
"Just chill man." Harry replied enthusiastically. "Check out that group of girls over there! Come on!"  
  
Syaoran just rolled his eyes as he was pushed towards the group. On closer inspection, however, one of those three girls looked familiar. 'Hey isn't that...'  
  
"Hey what's up?" Harry greeted the trio with his trademark grin.  
  
"Hi!" one of the girls answered happily.  
  
'I know her. But from where...That's it! It's Yamazaki's girlfriend. Now what was her name?' Syaoran thought as Harry conversed with the girls.  
  
"I'm Harry and I'm from America. I'm fairly new to Japan." Harry introduced. As he spoke, he silently observed the three. Only one of them was intrested in a conversation with him. The other two were busy staring at his friend who was completely oblivious and absorbed in his thoughts.  
  
"Nice to meet you Harry. I'm Chiharu, and these are my friends Aiiko and Kyra."  
  
The other two waved hello and then reverted back to staring at the silent mysterious black haired teen.  
  
'Oh yeah! Now I remember Chiharu.' Syaoran thought before being broken out of his revere by a nudge.  
  
"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Harry suggested.  
  
'Well I can't let Chiharu know it's me. Guess I better come up with something fast.' Syaoran thought quickly before speaking. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shaolang. Li Shaolang." He removed his sunglasses for an added effect hoping for a good impression. He would have to deal with these people because he had to see them in school. It seemed to work.  
  
Harry was dumbfounded at how successfully Syaoran had pulled off the oldest cliche. He had succeeded in getting their attention. Not only that, they were captivated by his eyes. The three girls stared at his intense midnight blue gaze that seemingly burned with red fire underneath. As an added bonus, he smiled. Not one of those half smirks but a smile full of years of delicate practice for his training in a public role. It's resemblance to a real smile was uncanny and few if any could ever separate one from the other.  
  
'Well I guess he does have some underlying skills.' Harry thought with a grin. 'Maybe he's not hopeless after all.'  
  
He was about to comment when they heard a scream.  
  
  
  
********By the roller coaster*********  
  
"Oh my god!" Screamed one of the bystanders as the crowd witnessed a spectacle unfold before them. "What the hell is that?"  
  
On top of one of the tracks of the rollar coaster was one of the trains trapped by a huge doglike beast. It proceeded to disassemble the entire ride violently with it's massive claws. The trapped cart of people screamed as the train started rolling towards a section of the destroyed track. Just as it reached the edge and started to descend, Sakura arrived.  
  
"Those people are going to die!" Tomoyo yelled hysterically.  
  
"Not if i can help it. Windy card, Release and Dispell. Windy card!" Sakura summoned as she used her powers to gently put the train full of people on the ground. The crowd was speechless but she had no time to worry about that. She knew she had to deal with the beast before anyone gets hurt. Eriol distracted it with fire spells but that was just an annoyance to the demon. Sakura pondered the options for the few seconds she had to spare. Fire had little effect, and it was too fast for lightning. Shot was useless against it as was windy. Power and sword were suicide.  
  
'It's just too fast!' Sakura thought as she lept out of the way of the charging beast barely in time. 'That's it! I'll slow it down!' "Wood card, Release and Dispell. Wood card!"  
  
Cannibus saw the oncomming branches and had only one choice of direction: up. It took a giant leap and started to float in the air avoiding every branch until out of reach.  
  
'What the hell? It flew!!' Sakura thought angrily as she watches Wood card miss its target. She dodged yet another attack and came up with an idea.  
  
"Light card, blind this monster. Release and Dispell. Light card!" The beast seemed momentarily stunned by the bright flashes of light and lost it's bearing for a moment. "Thunder card, Release and Dispell. Thunder card!" A lightning bolt struck Cannibus while it was temporarily blinded. Unfortunately, it hit its mark and then dissapated into nearby metalic objects and had no effect other than minor annoyance.  
  
Cannibus was getting fed up with this human. Orders or not, it would kill this being who tried to exterminate him with pathetic magic spells. Giving off a mighty roar, it swooped down from it's ariel position and charged head on. Seeing this, Sakura tried to get out of the way but tripped on a branch of the Wood card. Witnessing the mistake, Cannibus raised its right claw and decended.  
  
Looking up and seeing how hopeless her position looked, she cried one name that would forever be in her heart.  
  
"SYAORAN!!!"  
  
  
  
As soon as Syaoran heard the scream, he excused himself and took off. In the distance, he saw a huge doglike beast attacking a roller coaster.  
  
'Perfect.' He thought sarcastically. 'Just what I need right now. More trouble.' As he ran towards the scream, he passed a costume booth that was abandoned by it's attendant who had gone to see the spectacle. Grabbing the nearest set of clothes, he rapidly put it on without thinking. After finishing, he did a doubletake.  
  
"What the hell am I doing? I need something to hide my alter identity but this is insane.' Syaoran thought as he stared at his clown costume composing of oversized shoes, red nose, and all. 'Oh well, no time for that.'  
  
Quickly running to the scene, he saw what was going on. Sakura was temporarily holding her own against the oversized demon dog. He felt something that he hadn't felt for a long time. Pride. He was proud of Sakura for being so strong on her own.  
  
'Not only is she strong,' he thought, 'she is also beautiful, agile, and fights with great strategy.' Watching for a few more seconds, he got ready to spring into action if she needed his help. Seeing her lightning attack fail, he groaned. He had wished that it would have been destroyed or crippled by a direct hit. He saw her trip while trying to escape and got ready to make his move but her outburst surprised him. He knew she thought she was about to die and the one person she called for was not her brother, father, best friend, Eriol, or even her boyfriend. It had been his name that she had called. He who she had not seen in the past 7 years.  
  
Shaking the thought from his mind, he sprang into the battle with his sword drawn. If the situation wasn't so grim, spectators would have probably chuckled at the sight of a clown charging with a sword.  
  
  
  
Sakura closed her eyes and waited for the fatal blow but it never came. Opening her eyes she gasped at the sight before her. Cannibus flew recklessly across the sky with someone on it's back. She squinted her eyes to get a look at her savior. She was saved by...a clown!?  
  
Syaoran jumped on the back of the charging beast and successfully diverted the attack it had planned for Sakura. Cannibus desparately tried to get him off its back and started to barrel roll. Gritting his teeth, Syaoran raised his sword up and plunged it into the back of the beast. Roaring with pain, it did everything it could to get rid of the unwanted passenger. While trying to avoid the claws that were constantly hacking at him, Syaoran withdrew the sword only to plunge it elsewhere repeatedly. Unable to take anymore of the excrutiating pain, Cannibus collapsed from midair and fell to the ground. Jumping off before impact, Syaoran rushed over to make sure he had finished the job. Cannibus let out one last roar which trailed off and moved no more.  
  
The entire carnival was silent. A giant demon dog had just attacked and then been defeated by a clown. Syaoran took one last look around. Glancing to his left, dark amber blue met emerald green. As Syaoran and Sakura stared at each other, both were deep in thought. There revere was broken by sirens that were approaching the park. Taking this chance to get out of there, Syaoran made his escape.  
  
Sakura was busy using the Erase card on everyone to wipe their memories of her but her thoughts kept drifting to the mysterious clown that saved her. 'Who was he? Why did he seem so familiar? The way he handled the sword. And why does he FEEL so familiar?'  
  
Questions kept popping in her mind as she walked home.  
  
  
  
A/N: Shaolang literally means "young wolf". I guess that is change enough so people don't recognize his name.  
  
Please review. It's much appreciated by any author. 


	6. Math Teachers Know Best

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
Math Teachers Know Best  
  
  
  
Dark blue eyes stared at her from the distance. Her heart started to beat faster with every step he took. How could any one guy look so good? His dark hair rustled in the soft wind as he slowly made his way over to her.  
  
He stopped when he was next to her. Gently, he raised one hand and softly stroked her cheek while probing her eyes with his. She stood there, motionless and unable to move. Her brain didn't comprehend what was happening.  
  
And then he smiled. That gorgeous smile that made her knees go weak. His first words took her completely by surprise.  
  
"Aishiteru...Sakura..." His voice was so soft and steady yet with an undertone of strength. She stood there with her mouth open in utter shock and unable to respond.  
  
Seeing her reaction, he smiled more and slowly started to descend his face to hers, closing the gap between their lips. Sakura's brain immediately began to register what was happening.  
  
'Oh my god! He's gonna...' her mind screamed. Her body reacted without her control. She closed her eyes and proceeded to meet him halfway. They were only millimeters apart and she could feel his hot breath on her lips. Her heart raced of anticipation...  
  
  
  
*Beep Beep Beep Beep*  
  
  
  
"HOOEEEE!""  
  
  
  
******Monday Morning*******  
  
  
  
'What was that!?' Sakura thought as she got ready for school. She had just dreamed about kissing a total stranger. On top of that, he had said he loved her. Who did she know that has black hair and blue eyes?  
  
'Weird.'  
  
Sakura put on her uniform and looked at the clock. 7:10 a.m. 50 minutes before the bell rang. She had actually gotten up when the alarm sounded. Taking her time, she picked up all her books and went downstairs.  
  
"What the hell? Kaijiu is up early? I must be seeing things." Touya grumbled when Sakura entered the kitchen.  
  
"Shut up." she retorted and then proceeded to fix herself some breakfast. In ten minutes, she had a stack of pancakes ready to go. Taking it to the table, she proceeded to eat while glancing at the newspaper. She almost choked when she saw the headline.  
  
'Clown saves Tomoeda from beast.'  
  
'Oh no!' Sakura thought desperately. 'The erase card only erased everyone's memories of me. I forgot completely about the clown!'  
  
Breakfast forgotten, she proceeded to read the article.  
  
'In recent news, a strange phenomenon has occured in Tomoeda with the appearance of some sort of demon doglike beast. It wrecked havoc on the annual Tomoeda Fair and especially on one of the roller coasters. Witnesses say it appeared from some kind of portal and started to tear apart the track. One of the trains was directly in the way and it is still unknown as to how the people on the ride escaped without any injuries from the derailing. Witnesses also say the beast was somehow stunned by bright lights, fire, and thunder from an unknown source. Apparently, these distractions were enough for an unknown individual dressed as a clown to take on the demon. The stranger in the costume risked his life and jumped onto the back of the beast as it flew. In an unsurpassed show of courage, bravery, and stupidity, he attacked mercilessly (see picture A.19 below) and with a stroke of luck for us all, defeated the beast. Scientists are unable to determine anything as the corpse suddenly decomposed into a thick black fog and disappeared according to a nearby spectator. Police are still investigating the incident and any information is appreciated.'  
  
Underneath, there was a picture of the clown hacking away at the beast. As Sakura studied it further she came to a startling discovery.  
  
'Blue eyes! The person who saved me has blue eyes!'  
  
"Hey Kaijiu! You're going to be late if you don't hurry up!" Touya yelled breaking up her thoughts. Sakura looked at him puzzled then at the clock. 7:54 a.m.  
  
"Hooeee!"  
  
  
  
"Goddamnit! I hate this uniform. It's gay!" Harry said irritably as he looked at himself in the mirror. "Tell me again why I'm going to school?"  
  
Syaoran sighed and shook his head. "Because it's the LAW!"  
  
"Fuck the law! I'm here on vacation, not foreign exchange."  
  
"Look." Syaoran reasoned. "It really isn't that bad because this is your last year anyway. Besides, I think school will give you more opportunities to meet girls than just staying here being a bum."  
  
"Whoa, I never thought of it like that. What the hell are we waiting for? Lets go!" Harry shouted impatiently.  
  
Syaoran smirked. "I'm glad you see it my way. Just let me get my transfer papers."  
  
"Heh, I'll never miss a chance meeting some new girls. I hope I see the ones we met at the carnival. Say, where did you run off to?"  
  
"I just had to use the bathroom really bad." Syaoran replied quickly.  
  
"Oh. You missed it man! We had this huge animal battle an insane clown. That alone was worth the ticket price in my opinion. It was for real too! Not just some cheesy sideshow." Harry exclaimed thinking back to what happened. Syaoran just raised an eyebrow.  
  
  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto," the teacher called as she read attendance.  
  
Silence. Then "I'm here sensei!"  
  
Sakura entered the classroom breathless and exausted from her marathon dash to school. The whole class was staring and some snickered. She blushed as she realized she was once again the center of attention.  
  
"Kinomoto-san, you know I don't toletate tardiness. Detention!"  
  
Tomoyo looked at her sympathetically. This was the third time in the past week that she had been late. Staying afterschool was a daily routine for her now.  
  
"Good morning, Sakura-chan. Why are you late this time?" Tomoyo asked quietly. The teacher was going over a new math lesson.  
  
"I actually woke up on time today. I was going to be on time but I spent too much time reading the newspaper. Did you read the headline?"  
  
"Yeah. Weird isn't it?" Tomoyo stated. "If I wasn't actually there, I wouldn't believe it. That was a close call Sakure-chan."  
  
Sakura sighed. True enough, if it wasn't for the mysterious clown, she probably wouldn't be sitting here now. That was the closest she had ever been to dying. It was a pure stroke of luck that a stranger decided to jump into the battle on her behalf.  
  
"You have to be more careful Sakura-chan. Who knows what will happen next ti-"  
  
"Daidouji-san. If you don't want to stay after also, I suggest you pay attention." the teacher reprimanded.  
  
"Hai."  
  
  
  
"Is this the principal's office?" Harry asked a passing student. After receiving a confirmation, he and Syaoran stepped inside.  
  
A man in his fifties greeted them.  
  
"Good morning gentlemen. I hear you two are the new transferees to Seijou High School. What are your names?"  
  
"I'm Harry Venglan."  
  
"I'm Li Shaolang."  
  
"Nice to meet you. I am principal Kaneda. Do you have your papers ready?"  
  
Syaoran handed him a bundle of applications and forms while Harry stood to the side confused. Kaneda looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Where are your forms Harry?" He asked irritated.  
  
"Forms? In America, the forms are automatically mailed to the new school. Why can't you do that here?" Harry stated.  
  
"Because this is not America!" Kaneda replied sternly. "Do not compare your American life to your present one as they vary drastically."  
  
"Hey listen here you old fart! It's not my fault that you people refuse to adopt new ideas!" Harry nearly yelled. Kaneda stared surprised, while Syaoran stood off to the side and held in his laughter.  
  
Regaining his composure, Kaneda growled and exclaimed angrilly, "This is your last warning. Do that again and you shall not be admitted to this school. Now go get your schedule and get out of my office!"  
  
"Hmph." Harry turned around and stormed out. Syaoran realized the situation and tried to make amends. His training told him that it was best to be on good terms with all parties.  
  
"Sorry about that," Syaoran said. "He is not used to the Japanese educational system. It is not wise, however, to take everything personally." With that, he too turned and left. Kaneda was left to wonder about the two new transfer students.  
  
  
  
"Now class before I begin my next lesson, I have a surprise for you." the teacher began as she received the note from the office. There was a general groan as most surprises were pop-quizzes or something like it.  
  
"We have two new transfer students. One from America and one Hong Kong. Please welcome Harry Venglan and Shaolang Li."  
  
2 pairs of eyes instantly looked up as the second name was being read. Tomoyo stared but showed no recognition. This wasn't the same Li or so she thought. Sakura looked at the boy with black hair and blue eyes and gasped. It was him, the person in her dream. He stared back and she blushed thinking of what her dream was about. Jutsun saw her blush and narrowed his eyes. He didn't like this newcomer. Not at all.  
  
Harry took the most of this opportunity and waved cheerfully at every girl in the class while showing off his pearly white teeth. A few greeted him back but the majority were staring at Syaoran.  
  
"Now you two please take your seats." the teacher interrupted. "Li- kun, you can take the seat behind Kinomoto-san. Venglan-kun, you can have the seat next to that. Kinomoto-san, please raise your hand."  
  
Sakura didn't hear the teacher. She was busy examining the new transfer students. Especially the quiet one. When she looked into his eyes, she couldn't tear herself away from them. They had so much depth and secrecy. For some unexplained reason, her heart began beating faster and she blushed again. His lips turned upward for a split second but long enough for her to get a good view of his smile. She turned even redder. Jutsun was in the back gritting his teeth.  
  
"Kinomoto!"  
  
Sakura was broken out of here trance and faced the teacher who was fuming at being ignored.  
  
"Sorry!" She said quickly.  
  
"Don't let it happen again! Well now you know who Kinomoto-san is. Please take your seats."  
  
Syaoran thought about what had just happend. He had entered the classroom, and nearly every girl turned her attention to him. A pair of emerald green eyes caught his attention. They stared at each other for a moment before she blushed. He couldn't help but smile a little at her cuteness. This only embarrassed her further. During the whole exchange, Syaoran noticed one boy in particular giving him death glares and gritting his teeth for restraining to kill him.  
  
'So this must be Sakura's boyfriend' Syaoran thought while returning a glare of his own. 'Good thing my true identity is hidden. If there is anything I don't want, it's to see her sad.'  
  
"Hey I think that was a good first impression Li." Harry said quietly while the teacher was further explaining the math lesson.  
  
"Hmph. Whatever." came the reply.  
  
Sakura tried to pay attention but the conversation behind her was distracting. It was so unusual to call this boy Li. He was so similar to Li Syaoran when she thought about it. The quiet, mysterious type that was strong but hid a soft caring inside. She saw it with that smile. He also carried around an air of arrogant apathy about everything. She agreed on one thing, however. This Li was just as gorgeous as the original if not more because of his age now.  
  
'What am I thinking!?' She thought quickly as she dispersed all thoughts of "Li" out of her mind. 'I have a boyfriend! He's caring, sweet, considerate, handsome, and thoughtful. But he's no Li...'  
  
"Kinomoto! Since whatever is on your desk is so interesting, come up and explain how to find the point where the tangent line crosses a function."  
  
"H-Hai sensei." Sakura gulped as she stood up and tried her best to explain. "Well, first you uh, well you take the point and uh, the formula, and well..."  
  
"I see." the teacher said simply. "Stay after class."  
  
"Hai sensei." Sakura said quietly as she sat down.  
  
"So who can explain this problem for the benefit of Kinomoto-san?"  
  
Syaoran raised his hand. "Li-kun? It's your first day, but ok. Please explain."  
  
"You take the derivative of the function and then plug it into the..." Syaoran stated as he went on into a detailed explanation of what to do.  
  
"Excellent Li-kun. Please stay after class as well. I wish to speak with you."  
  
"Hai sensei." Syaoran replied. The rest of class went by quickly with a dejected Sakura, jealous Jutsun, flirtious Harry, and indifferent Syaoran.  
  
  
  
*Riiiiiiiinnnnnng*  
  
"Ok class don't forget the homework assignment. Everyone is dismissed except for you two." the teacher said as she pointed to Sakura and Syaoran. All the other students got up and left but not before Jutsun came up to Syaoran and gave him a suspicious glare.  
  
"Kinomoto-san, to be blunt, I'm disappointed in your performance in math recently. I've been meaning to suggest that you get a tutor but have been unable to find you one. Since today Li-kun here has shown competence in the subject and you two have been introduced on good terms," she paused and smiled to let the last part sink in. Sakura blushed as she realized what her teacher was getting at.  
  
"Since you two seem to get along, I want Li-kun to be your tutor. In return, you can show him around the school and maybe even Tomoeda. Is that agreeable to you both?"  
  
'I get to tutor Sakura? Hmm...I guess it couldn't hurt to be her friend. I just wish I could be more,' Syaoran thought at the prospect.  
  
"Hai." they both said at the same time.  
  
"Then it's agreed. You two make your own schedule. You can go now."  
  
They both said goodbye to their teacher and left the class.  
  
  
  
A/N: I think school in most Asian countries are mandatory until graduation from high school.  
  
Please review. Every is much appreciated. 


	7. Split Fractions

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
Split Fractions  
  
*********Under Tokyo Tower**********  
  
"Kiryle you fool!" Apsu yelled at the kneeling man before her. She was absolutely vivid after his failed attempts to accomplish anything and the fact that he had one of her secret weapons killed. Kiryle was unfazed at this show of emotion.  
  
"I'm sorry, Apsu-sama," he replied calmly. His dark brown eyes met icy blue. He could see the fury that the usually stonic Apsu hid within. "The conditions were most unfortunate. It seems that Cannibus was unable to sense the involvement of a third party, namely Li Xiao Lang. He has hid himself well and even as we speak, we are having a hard time locating his present position."  
  
"I want him found within the hour. If you fail again, I shall erase you from existance!"  
  
"Of course Apsu-sama," Kiryle said with respect that he didn't truly feel. With that, Apsu disappeared. "Stupid bitch..." Kiryle mumbled. "I'm not afraid of her. She can't change what was meant to be. I was destined to kill her and take her place."  
  
Kiryle had visions almost every night. Often the visions come with the death of Apsu by his hands. Unfortunately, the visions also told him of another problem. He would be unable to obtain his power if another powerful sorcerer of old magic exists. Only one person came up to his mind. Li Xiao Lang would have to die.  
  
'What better way to eliminate him than to lure him here?' Kiryle thought. 'Now what to use as bait? Sakura Kinomoto? No that would be too much trouble as she also has powerful magic.'  
  
Kiryle pondered the question for a while before coming up with a solution. He needed someone that Li Xiao Lang would definitly come rescue but not someone who could resist magically. He knew that Li cared for the Card Mistress and wouldn't want to see her upset. That gave him an idea.  
  
'That's it! I'll use someone close to the Card Mistress.' Kiryle planned without delaying. 'Touya Kinomoto. Perfect! But first I have to make sure the Card Mistress herself is unable to rescue him.'  
  
"Shinjee! Report!" He ordered a follower as he pondered his ideas. The more he thought about them the more appealing they were. Surely, Li Xiao Lang will come to the aid of his beloved Card Mistress's brother?  
  
"Yes sir?" Shinjee saluted as he appeared.  
  
"I want you to injure a girl named Sakura Kinomoto so she will be inactive for a few weeks. Make sure she is unable to support herself let alone fight again."  
  
"Of course sir. It shall be done." With that, Shinjee left to complete the request.  
  
'Soon Li Xiao Lang. But you first Touya Kinomoto! Hahaha...'  
  
  
  
********Kinomoto Residence*********  
  
"Do you ever feel like you're being watched Yuki?" Touya asked his long time best friend. Lately, his senses had been on edge.  
  
"I don't think so. What's this all about?" Yukito responded confused.  
  
"You do know that there are unexplained happenings that have been going on right? I think my sister has something to do with it." Touya explained.  
  
"I'm not following. How can your sister be a part of everything?"  
  
"I've suspected for some time now. Ever since she met that Chinese gaki, everything's changed. I sense something different about her. Not only that, she sneaks off in the middle of the night to some sort of battle. I know this because I've seen what she looks like when she gets back. She's all bruised and cut but in the morning she's absolutely fine. That and she keeps a live stuffed animal in her room. She constantly brings it food and I've caught it talking to her before and walked out before they noticed. I even started making extra dessert so she can keep it fed without too much trouble."  
  
"That's hard to believe Touya." Yukito stated. "But why bring this up now?"  
  
"Things got calmer about 7 years ago. Sakura stopped fighting her midnight battles and started living like a normal kid. About the same time, I stopped sensing magical forces in Tomoeda. I think it's too much of a coincidence for that's exactly when the gaki left. I was happy at first but then I realized that my sister actually liked him. That bastard left and made her miserable! If I ever see him again I'll..." Touya trailed off and made hand gestures resembling that of him crushing someone's throat.  
  
"So your sister has magic? And she is fighting other magical beings?" Yukito asked startled.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. I know that no matter how hard I try, she won't change. I have a feeling that something will happen. And soon."  
  
  
  
********Seijou*********  
  
"So do you have a soccer team?" Syaoran asked his newly appointed tour guide. The two of them were walking to their last class of the day, chemistry. Syaoran tried to keep conversation to a general topic. He didn't want to rush things.  
  
"Our soccer team is the best! We are the national runner up. If you want to join then you really should talk to-" Sakura started to reply.  
  
"Me!" interrupted Jutsun as he caught up to the pair and reached out to take hold of Sakura's hand. "I'm the best at soccer in this school and I decide who plays or not."  
  
"Really? Then it's nice to meet you. I'm Li Shaolang," Syaoran said as he offered his hand.  
  
"I know who you are," Jutsun sneered looking at the offered hand and ignoring it. "By the looks of it, I don't think you'll be playing soccer anytime soon."  
  
"Jutsun-kun! Don't be mean! Li-kun is new and he should feel welcome here." Sakura reprimanded.  
  
"Hmph! Well if loser-boy here really wants to embarass himself, then tell him to be at the field at 4." Jutsun said storming off.  
  
After Jutsun disappeared from sight, Sakura turned and apoligized.  
  
"I'm sorry Li-kun. He normally doesn't act like that. I really don't know what's the matter with him today. Ever since math class, he's been like that," Sakura stated exasparated.  
  
'Still as naive as ever aren't you Sakura?' Syaoran thought with a grin. "Don't worry about it Kinomoto-san. I'll be there at 4 to try out for the team. I hope I'm good enough," Syaoran said smiling.  
  
Sakura blushed when she saw the smile. 'So much like the dream...' she thought. 'How can it be that I dreamed about Li Shaolang before I met him? Yet there is no mistake about his smile. Or those eyes...'  
  
"I'll be there to cheer you on Li-kun," she stated.  
  
******  
  
"Okay class. Today we will perform a titration of strong acids with weak conjugate bases." The chemistry teacher stated. "Each of you will need a partner for this lab. As a reward for your good work last week, you may choose your partners."  
  
There was a general scuffle as people paired up with the ones they always wanted to. Sakura watched as the ones she usually work with pair up with others. Tomoyo with Eriol. Chiharu with Yamazaki. The entire single girl population of the class flocked to Syaoran who politely ignored them and turned to Sakura.  
  
"Will you be my partner Kinomoto-san?" Syaoran asked silently pleading with his eyes. Sakura saw his predicament and giggled. She nodded and received a sigh of relief from Syaoran and glares from the rest of the girls.  
  
From across the room, Eriol watched the pair as they started their experiment. He had noticed something about this Li Shaolang but couldn't put his finger on it. He was so familiar. Why? The only possibility was that this was actually Syaoran, his "cute little descendant". The hair color was changeable as were eye color. But the thing that bothered him the most was that this Li has no aura. Erasing the possibility from his mind, he went back to concentrating on chemistry.  
  
  
  
"I'd really like to thank you for showing me around today Kinomoto- san," Syaoran said as he wrote out his lab report.  
  
"Sure. It's the least I could do because you agreed to tutor me in math. So when is a good time?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Well any Wednesday and Thursday would be fine Kinomoto-san. Can I call you Sakura?" Syaoran asked. Sakura blushed but slowly nodded.  
  
"Only if I can call you Shaolang." she requested. After he agreed, she noticed the time. "Soccer practice starts immediately after school. I have a short cheerleader practice today so I won't be able to take you there. Eriol-kun can show you there since he is also on the team. I'll come watch as soon as I get out from practice."  
  
Sakura pointed out Eriol for Syaoran's benefit. Syaoran went over and introduced himself.  
  
"Hi. I'm Li Shaolang. Sakura told me that you were on the soccer team. I want to try out today," Syaoran said as he held out his hand.  
  
Eriol shook the offered hand. As soon as he made contact, he felt a tingle in his magical senses. 'How can this be?' he thought. 'He has no detectable aura! Yet my senses don't react like that unless the person is very powerful.'  
  
"It's nice to meet you Li-kun. I'll show you where tryouts are after school," Eriol said quickly hiding his surprise. "Let me warn you though. The coach requires almost perfection from his players and you'll have to be good to join after the season started."  
  
Syaoran nodded his thanks. Walking back to Sakura, he noticed Eriol examining him for traces of magic. He was hiding his power from the magic eye but even if they did see something, it would be void of color. A black shadow that surrounds him. Anyone with a black aura is said to be lacking in every magical power or extremely evil. Hopefully, it would be the first they assume if it came to that. Thankfully the bell saved him from further examination.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
As they were walking to the field, Eriol and Syaoran engaged in various small talk. Eriol managed to "learn" that Syaoran came form a rich family in Hong Kong with a stepdad who neglected him. He managed to save up for a trip here to Tomoeda Japan in hopes of getting away from the problems at home. Syaoran also claimed that there wasn't so much nonsense as magic and sorcery in Hong Kong and everyone who believed in that was stupid. Eriol raised his eyebrow at that.  
  
When the field came into view, they saw the team getting warmed up. The coach was standing off to the side and screaming orders. The two approached him and he turned towards them.  
  
"Hiiragizawa, what are you doing? Get your ass on the field!" The coach shouted at Eriol completely ignoring Syaoran.  
  
"Yes sir. But first I would like you to meet Li. He wants to try out for the team."  
  
The coach snorted as he looked Syaoran over. "You don't look like much kid. If you're any good at all then today is the day to prove it. Now get on the field!"  
  
Syaoran nodded and approached the other players. When Jutsun saw him, he cracked up.  
  
"Well look who's here! Didn't I tell you boys that we had some loser novice trying for the team today? Look at him. He's gonna get walked on!"  
  
Others immediately agreed with Jutsun and started laughing. They continued to do so until the coach blew a whistle and began giving orders.  
  
"Everyone shutup!" He yelled and waited for the team to calm down. "Li here is trying out for the team today. You guys know what to do. I want you to scrimage and then a little one on one with the new guy. Any comments?"  
  
Jutsun spoke up. "I don't think he should be allowed to play coach. He might get hurt or even worse, humiliated. And I don't think he would be any asset to the team on game days. That is unless distracting the other team with his ugly mug counts!" With that he ended with a smug look on his face. Others started snickering and even the coach laughed a little. His team needed a morale boost and that was a good one even if it did come at some new kid's expense. Besides, Jutsun was his number one player and he let him have a little fun.  
  
"Okay that's enough. Now get in your positions," the coach said then turned to Syaoran. To his surprise, Syaoran's face lacked all emotion. It wasn't the flustered or angry face he was expecting. It was completely placid.  
  
"I want you to take Hiiragizawa's place today. Now show me whatever skill you may have if any."  
  
Syaoran nodded and ran on the field. The coach actually felt sorry for him. Li was going to get trampled on. Or so he thought. Eriol came back from the locker room but was told to sit on the sidelines. His place would be taken to test the new kid he had been told.  
  
The whistle blew and the scrimage started. Syaoran was surprised to get hostile looks from even his own teammates. They never passed him the ball even when he was clearly open to score a goal. A member from his own team even tried to steal the ball from him when he had it.  
  
Syaoran groaned inwardly. 'So this is how they want to play it?' he thought. 'Everyone against me. I can handle that.' Even as he was thinking, he saw Jutsun trying to drive past him and score. With one swift motion, he ran in and stole the ball. Dodging the surprised defenders, he sped past all of them and to the goal. Faking left then faking again, he kicked it with the goalie diving the other way. A perfect goal.  
  
"Good job Shaolang-kun!" Syaoran heard as soon as he scored. He looked over and was surprised to see Sakura sitting next to Eriol waving at him. Grinning slightly, he waved back. Slowly, he turned to see Jutsun furious and surprised. Not only was Sakura watching him and cheering him on, she had called him by his first name. Jutsun looked ready to kill him.  
  
"You bastard!" Jutsun growled at him. Syaoran just smiled innocently. "How about a little one on one?" Syaoran suggested. Jutsun glared at him and gritted his teeth.  
  
"Fine," he spat back. "I'll destroy you on the field. Then Sakura will see who is truly number one." The entire team sensed the tension and walked off the field. By now, the coach was interested in the new kid and wanted to see what he could do.  
  
The entire field was cleared and the two met in the center. The rules were simple. Best two out of three with no ties possible. Syaoran started with the ball on his side and started moving it down the field. Jutsun tried to steal it away as soon as he could. Syaoran saw him coming and kicked the ball in the air. Jutsun's momentum propelled him past Syaoran who jumped over his approaching form with ease. Running down a now open field, Syaoran had no trouble scoring his first goal. 1-0.  
  
Sakura cheered once more when she saw the goal. Jutsun saw this and became even more enraged. He snarled as he dribbled the ball from his side to the other end. He was being aggressive. Too aggressive. He tried to fake left but Syaoran saw it coming and managed to kick the ball from his possession.  
  
'Oh no you don't you son of a bitch!' Jutsun thought to himself and kicked Syaoran as hard as he could in the knee. To a normal person, such a kick would have broken a bone if not permenantly disabled that leg. But Syaoran felt nothing. His magical abilities protected him from the physical assault. He simply continued on as Jutsun stared in shock and scored the final goal. 2-0.  
  
The reaction to the past few seconds were mixed. Sakura was angry and worried at the same time. She had seen the kick and rushed up to Syaoran and asked if he was okay.  
  
Eriol was an entirely different matter. In the second that Syaoran was kicked, his aura flared. Even if it was half a second, he managed to pick up the color. It was green. With this final piece of evidence, Eriol put the puzzle together. Li Shaolang was no other than Li Syaoran of the Li clan from Hong Kong. Eriol smiled in wonder at how well Syaoran managed to fool everyone. One question still lingered on his mind. Why?  
  
'So you've come back my cute little descendant. We've got some catching up to do.'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Eriol is very perceptive and I think it's fitting to have him recognize Syaoran first.  
  
Please review. I really appreciate it. Thanks. 


	8. First Strike

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Amora  
  
First Strike  
  
*******  
  
Li Syaoran walked down the streets of Tomoeda with his head bowed. Everything was so complicated to him. Why couldn't his life been like that of a normal 17 year old? Even the weather reflected his mood. It was raining softly but he didn't care. He had other things on his mind.  
  
It was clear that Sakura's boyfriend would try and make this year a living hell for him. The glares and looks that he received from Jutsun were almost amusing. Almost. He knew that any tension between Jutsun and himself would only hurt Sakura. He couldn't stand imagining the look of pain on her face, and had promised long ago that he would never hurt her in any way.  
  
The soft rain continued to lure him deeper in concentration. Syaoran had long ago discarded the idea of forgetting about her. It just wasn't possible. He had thought it had been just a childhood infatuation. Years passed but his feelings remained the same. He awoke one night after dreaming about her yet again and came to a startling conclusion. He was in love. The future leader and seemingly invincible Li Syaoran who showed no compassion for anyone except for a chosen few family members was in love with a simple yet elegant girl named Sakura Kinomoto.  
  
At first he denied the fact vigorously. It just couldn't be true. Yet the more he thought about it the more of the truth it became. He would give anything to have her love him back. He would sacrifice everything he was, everything he is, and everything he will be just to be with her. After finally realizing this, she was taken.  
  
'Kuso! You idiot. Why couldn't you realize earlier!?' Syaoran reprimanded himself. He had thought of this many times beforeand came to the same conclusion. All he wanted was to see her happy. If she didn't return his affection then so be it. He would always love her and protect her even if she was with someone else. As long as that person was the one she truly loves.  
  
After escaping from his moment of epifany, he realized he was being followed. He had let his guard down during his train of thoughts. Cursing silently, he turned around and came face to face with Eriol Hiiragizawa.  
  
"So we meet again...Li Syaoran," Eriol spoke softly. Syaoran stared in shock for a moment before replying. There was no use playing dumb. By the looks of Eriol's face, he already knew.  
  
"Hiiragizawa," Syaoran said simply. At that, Eriol nodded and gave him his trademark smile. The one that scared him when he was little. However, it no longer intimadated him in the least. Syaoran had long released the hostile feelings he had towards his "ancestor". Thinking hard, he came up with absolutely nothing to hold a grudge on. Technically, Eriol was family.  
  
"I congratulate you Li-kun, on an identity well hidden. You had even me fooled for a while," Eriol stated with a smirk on the last part. Raindrops fell on his purple hair making it glimmer in the lights of the nearby stores. "But theres one thing that's bothering me. Why?"  
  
Syaoran stared at the half reincarnation of Clow while pondering his answer. Eriol had changed so much over the years. He had grown almost as tall as Syaoran with only an inch in difference. His deep blue eyes radiated intelligence and wisdom beyond his years but he hadn't lost his boyish charm or sense of humor. His smile could make any girl in Seijou swoon, but unfortunately for them, he was taken by one Tomoyo Daidouji, partner in crime since the 5th grade.  
  
"Let's talk in there," Syaoran replied motioning to a nearby coffee shop. "If we stand out here any longer, one or both of us are going to catch pneumonia." Eriol nodded and they both made their way inside.  
  
"What would you like today?" a waiter asked Eriol as they both sat down.  
  
"I'll have a cup of Earl Grey tea."  
  
"Very well sir. You?" he turned to Syaoran.  
  
"Hot chocolate for me." With that the waiter wrote the orders and left. Eriol waited patiently for Syaoran to began his explanation.  
  
"The reason I'm here is because the elders sent me here," Syaoran began. "To protect the Card Mistress. That was my mission and also my punishment for failing my original mission. I was not allowed to assume leadership in the clan before I completed the tasks that are presented to me. However, I don't think that was the sole reason they sent me here..." Syaoran trailed off as if debating if he should go on. Eriol stared at him expectingly.  
  
Syaoran took a deep breath and continued. "It appears that after so many countless leaders of the Li-clan have been manipulated by the wishes of the elders, they have come to expect it. My suspicion is they are trying to get rid of me somehow because they know that they won't be able to control me as they have everyone else."  
  
"So you think you were sent to Japan to be 'removed' by some suicide mission?" Eriol asked surprised that it had come to this. In all his memories of the Li-clan from Clow to present, nothing of the sort has ever happend before. Sure there was manipulation and backstabbing but never to this level. Syaoran nodded grimly.  
  
Eriol digested this bit of information but something else was nagging him about Syaoran's explanation. "Where does Sakura fit into this? You mentioned that the elders sent you here to protect the Card Mistress."  
  
"I don't know. Perhaps they think I would be desperate enough to try and steal the cards again or maybe that was the only logical explanation of sending me to Japan that they could come up with. There's one thing I'm certain of though. The elders are not acting alone."  
  
"What do you mean?" Eriol asked alarmed. For the Li-clan elders to be against you was bad enough. But for someone to be controling them...  
  
"There's no way that the elders could summon a demon like the one I fought at Tomoeda Fair. They would have to be messengers or have allied themselves with some greater power."  
  
"So that was you," Eriol said amused. "I should have known that nobody else would be so crazy as to dress up like a clown and jump on the back of a flying demon. To save her no less."  
  
Syaoran looked away before replying. "It was my mission. Even though they are trying to kill me, I couldn't fail what I was sent here to do."  
  
Eriol grinned at the reply Syaoran gave him. So typical of his cute little descendant. "It's true that it was your mission to protect her, but was that the only reason you jumped into the battle so readily?"  
  
Syaoran looked at Eriol and saw the twinkle in his eyes before smiling ruefully. "How perceptive you are Hiiragizawa. I suppose some things never change, but that's good. I need a constant in life right now. Everything is getting so complicated."  
  
"How true. But tell me this. Why are you hiding your identity from everyone? Going as far as changing your physical features. Even hiding your aura."  
  
Syaoran suddenly remembers something and panics. "Did you tell anyone else about me being in Japan? It's really important that you don't!"  
  
Eriol shakes his head and Syaoran sighs in relief. "I treat it as an element of surprise." Syaoran explained. "The enemy knows what I look like so I have to hide myself physically and magically. This also helps me avoid certain unnecessary complications..." he trailed off looking a little embarrased.  
  
"Ah, I see," Eriol replied knowing what Syaoran was trying to say. "No I haven't told anyone. Her included. So do you still have feelings for her?"  
  
Syaoran looked even more embarrased but relieved and nodded. "I guess I haven't gotten rid of them yet. I don't even know if I can." he said scratching his head. "But none of that matters anymore. I waited too long," he concluded sadly.  
  
Eriol looked thoughtful for a moment, before glancing at his watch. "Well I've got to go. But always remember this; nothing is impossible. Especially for a descendant of mine." With that he finished his drink, paid the bill, and walked out leaving Syaoran to ponder his last words.  
  
*******  
  
Sakura stepped over a big puddle while walking home from the movies with Jutsun. She glanced at her boyfriend who held the only umbrella between the two. Her right side was completely soaked because she didn't have enough cover from the rain. To her surprise, Jutsun was completely dry and had it directly over himself. She wondered if he was doing this on purpose. For the past few days he had been extra careless towards her. Even the date that they went on tonight had left her miserable.  
  
"Jutsun-kun," she said trying to start up a conversation. The silent walk home was very uncomfortable. "What's wrong with you lately? How come you're acting like this?"  
  
"Wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. You hanging around that new baka too much. What's his name? Li?"  
  
"Shaolang-kun is my friend. Besides, he's new here to Tomoeda and needs someone to show him around. What's the problem with that?" Sakura said immediately defending Syaoran from her seemingly unreasonable boyfriend.  
  
"And another thing!" Jutsun yelled. "Why are you calling him by his first name already? I don't want you hanging around him anymore. Understand?"  
  
Sakura was startled at what he had just said but quickly regained her composure. "No I don't understand. Who are you to tell me who I can and can't spend time with?" she demanded.  
  
"I'm your boyfriend, that's who! Or have you forgotten that simple fact already since you're clinging on to the bastard from Hong Kong?" Jutsun screamed as they approached his house on their way to hers. Without another word he turned towards his door and went inside leaving her in the rain for the few blocks to her house, speechless.  
  
"Is this really how you want it? It's over between us! It's over..." Sakura trailed off with tears streaming down her cheeks bluring her vision. She ran blindly towards her house not paying attention to anything else. Rain was now pouring down and she couldn't see 5 feet in front of her.  
  
"So you are Sakura Kinomoto!" a voice boomed over the noise of the heavy downpour. Sakura stopped running and looked around. A figure appeared from the shadows to her left. So many things ran across her mind that she did the first thing she thought of. She ran.  
  
The shadow was faster than her, and caught Sakura by the wrist, flinging her into a nearby wall. Without a moment's hesitation, the shadow pulled out a dagger and stabbed her in the leg. She fell with excruciating pain and screamed. The eyes of her attacker darkened.  
  
"Shut up bitch!" he yelled as he slaped her across the face. "Nobody will hear you! It would please my master greatly to learn of your death."  
  
As he moved in for the kill, Sakura was crying hysterically. She didn't have her wand, her cards, or any weapons. She was paralyzed with pain and helpless. Her vision was growing dizzy from the blood loss. With one final breath before falling unconscious she screamed for help.  
  
"Help me! Sy..ao..ran..."  
  
  
  
*******  
  
  
  
Once Syaoran left the coffee shop, the rain started pouring. It came down like sharp needles that hit him in the head mercelessly. He ignored the storm and thought of what Eriol had said.  
  
'Nothing is impossible. Especially for a descendant of mine'  
  
Why was Eriol always so mysterious? Like old times, he could never give a straight answer. Suddenly, his thoughts were interupted by a scream. He knew that it wasn't a physical scream. The heavy rain drowned out all noise outside of 4 feet from him. It came from within his heart.  
  
'Help me!'  
  
'Hey isn't that...' he thought.  
  
'Sy..ao..ran...'  
  
'Sakura!' he concluded and dashed off. He had no idea where he was going but let his heart take him. He ran as fast as he could and with enhanced abilities after years of training, he appeared as a blur to the average eye. In a matter of seconds, he approached where his instinct had taken him. A figure garbled in black was about to deliver the final blow to Sakura who was now unconscious. Syaoran's anger flared along with his aura. The figure turned suddenly, surprised at the sudden appearance of a new power. His surprise was met with Syaoran's sword which had descended with deadly accuracy. The figure jumped out of the way but was cut in the arm. It screamed in fury and pain.  
  
Wasting no time, Syaoran delivered a kick to the chest of his opponent as hard as he could sending him flying into a nearby wall. Pressing his advantage, Syaoran jumped in for another attack but was met with a barrier. A black shield shocked him and threw him back to the ground. As he hit the ground, his sword flew out of his hand flying a few feet away.  
  
Seeing Syaoran on the ground, the figure lept in for the kill. The dagger descended and met with the soft flesh of Syaoran's shoulder. Screaming in agony, Syaoran was met with another cut on the cheek. Just before the dagger reached his heart for the third strike, Syaoran managed to kick his attacker off of him.  
  
Ignoring the extreme pain of his shoulder and cheek, he chanted one of his favorite spells.  
  
"Di Xia Hwa Sho!" A huge ball of fire erupted from his palm and was aimed directly at his opponent. It hit with deadly accuracy, burning the figure it consumed. Quickly, it conjured a water spell and doused himself.  
  
Realizing what was going on, Syaoran made a leap for his sword and stood his ground. He could tell that the shadow figure was mad. Very mad. It's green eyes burned of hatred under the darkness of his hood. With an inhuman cry, it charged.  
  
Syaoran's green aura flared to new proportions as he concentrated all his power and anger into his next attack. The tip of his sword glowed white and Syaoran swung it in a deadly arc. A beam of white light erupted from it's tip while it was descending creating a blade. It traveled at incredible speeds and hit the figure knocking it 20 feet back into a wall...and through it.  
  
Syaoran charged towards the now prone figure but stopped as a portal opened. He wanted so much to kill the mysterious person but couldn't find the strength to get there before it jumped into the portal and escaped.  
  
"We shall meet again Li Xiao Lang!" it shouted before disappearing.  
  
Syaoran cursed and fell to his knees due to anger, exaustion, and pain. Looking around, he spotted Sakura leaning on the wall still unconscious. Gritting his teeth, he made his way over to her. Seeing her wound, he took off his shirt ignoring his own wounds to address hers. With a grunt of effort and pain, he picked her up and carried her to her house.  
  
He knew where she lived. He had been there seven years ago. Sighing, he physically and mentally prepared for a confrontation with Touya. Ringing her doorbell, he stood there and took a glance at her. Her face was pale. Probably from fear or blood loss. He was still staring at her when an all too familiar voice and remark broke the silence.  
  
"What have you done to my sister you bastard!"  
  
Syaoran looked up to see a fuming Touya glaring at him. If this was a normal encounter, he would have glared back but he wasn't in the mood right now. Instead, he gave Touya a weak smile and handed him Sakura. He turned to leave without a word.  
  
Touya was angry and started to yell at the mysterious kid but stopped when he saw his shoulder. Anger turned to confusion as he realized what must have happend.  
  
"Hey who are you?" he demanded.  
  
Syaoran turned around and answered him simply. "I'm her friend from school." Without further explanation, he disappeared into the rain.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Just in case you are confused, the shadow figure was Shinjee.  
  
Please review. I really like all of them I'm getting and it helps me write the story better. Thanks. 


	9. The Pieces Fall Together

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
The Pieces Fall Together  
  
*******  
  
Sakura drifted in and out of consciousness. Colors swirled around in her mind. One moment she thought she heard her brother yelling at someone. The next time she opened her eyes, she was in her bed. Taking a glance at her alarm clock, it read 9:45 am. Thinking it was all a dream, she tried to get up but then she felt the pain in her leg.  
  
"Itai!" she shouted in pain, realizing that everything had happend. The attack. Her fainting. It had actually taken place. Sakura wondered how she had escaped, and made it home.  
  
"I hear that you're awake Kaijuu," Touya said interupting her thoughts. "I don't think you should move on that leg. It needs to heal properly."  
  
"I guess you're right. How did I get here Onii-chan?" she asked.  
  
Touya stared softly at his sister. He knew she was expecting the worst from whatever she was fighting. It pained him to see her like this but it hurt him even more to know that he was powerless to prevent it.  
  
"Kaijuu," he began. Usually when he called her that she would have some biting remark or kick him in the shin. However, the tone he used showed so much affection that Sakura looked up and smiled. He sighed and began again. "Tell me what happend last night." Seeing her shocked expression, he continued. "Don't deny it Sakura. I've known since you were 10 years old that you have some magical abilities. And the reason you eat so much dessert is because of the living stuffed animal you keep around. He explained all this Clow Card business to me a few hours ago."  
  
~Flashback~  
  
As Touya checked on Sakura who was still sleeping, he spotted the yellow stuffed animal that had been in her possession since she was 10. He knew it was alive, but now had to get it to admit to that. Thinking fast, he went downstairs and made a batch of chocolate pudding that filled the biggest bowl he could find. Going back up to Sakura's room, he picked up Kero who had somehow changed positions since the last time he saw it. Bringing him downstairs, he held the seemingly inanimate object in front of the bowl of pudding and waited.  
  
In three seconds, you could see the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Touya smiled and waited for another few seconds. Unable to take the simple torture anymore, Kero came to life.  
  
"PUDDING!" he screamed as he dove head first into the bowl. Touya chuckled and waited patiently for Kero to devour the entire contents of the bowl. Seemingly satisfied with the response, Touya started his questions.  
  
"So was that good for you stuffed animal?" he asked. Kero's actions seemed natural and seemed to be well practiced.  
  
"I AM NOT A STUFFED ANIMAL!" Kero shouted and got in Touya's face with a fist waving in front of him. "Now you're starting to sound like the stupid Chinese gaki!"  
  
Touya's eyes widened in surprise, denial, and then finally anger. "What do you mean? I'll kill myself before I resemble that kid in any way!"  
  
Kero chuckled. "I guess we both hate his guts hun? How did you find out about me anyway?"  
  
Touya smiled when he heard this. Finally, someone else who shares his feelings about his most hated adversary. "I saw you talking with my sister. Besides, I can sense magical auras. That's how I learned about Sakura possessing magic. So what has she been doing for the past 7 years?"  
  
Kero pondered whether or not he should reveal any information. In the end he didn't find any reasons not to. He already knew enough. "Well, I think you better sit down because it's a long story." As Touya complied, he continued.  
  
"It all started with a man named Clow Reed..."  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Sakura's eyes widened with this bit of information. "You knew all this time?" she asked increduously. Touya nodded.  
  
"I was attacked last night," she stated wearily. "I was walking home with Jutsun-kun but we got in a argument, and he ditched me." Tears were forming in her eyes as she spoke of Jutsun. He had been so cold to her. She remembered the words she uttered afterwards.  
  
Touya saw her tears and growled. This Jutsun kid would pay for hurting her. But he had to control his anger to listen to the rest of her story.  
  
"After I ran away, someone yelled out my name. I wasn't sure so I turned and looked. This guy in a black hood was standing there and I couldn't see his face. I did the first thing I thought of and ran, but he caught me and threw me against a wall. I tried to stand up but he stabbed me. He told me that his master would be pleased. I thought I was going to die! He slapped me after I screamed for help and I fainted. I-I was so scared!"  
  
Sakura was sobbing hysterically now. Touya looked ready to kill but put his anger aside and gave his sister a comforting hug. He let her cry on his shoulders for ten minutes trying to calm her down.  
  
"Shhh...It's ok Sakura. You're safe here. Everything's alright."  
  
When the crying subsided, Sakura lifter herself from his shoulder teary-eyed. "Thank you, Onii-chan."  
  
Touya nodded and waited for her to continue.  
  
"So how did I get here?" Sakura asked after thinking.  
  
"Some kid brought you here. I thought he had hurt you but he was wounded too. Guess it was him that saved you." Touya said gruffly still not trusting the mysterious kid who brought her home yesterday. There was something about his eyes that looked familiar...  
  
"Who was it? Eriol-kun? Yamazaki-kun?" Sakura asked going on naming everyone who she thought would risk their life for her.  
  
"I didn't know him. All he said was he was a friend from school. I was about to grab him and demand answers but you were injured."  
  
Sakura smiled her thanks. "What did he look like then?"  
  
Touya thought for a moment before answering. Now that he thought about it, he didn't get an extremely good look at the kid except his eyes. "It was raining and dark outside, but I can tell you he had blue eyes. His hair was either dark brown or black. I think he was about my height, maybe a little shorter."  
  
'Who had blue eyes? Eriol did but Onii-chan would know him. Besides, Eriol has purple hair. Blue eyes and dark hair...Shaolang-kun!? Whould Shaolang really risk his life to save me?' Sakura thought as her heart began beating faster.  
  
"Shaolang-kun..." she whispered softly to herself but also loud enough for Touya to hear.  
  
"Eh? So you know this kid?" He questioned.  
  
"Hai!" Sakura said happily. "Shaolang-kun is my new friend! He moved here a few days ago from Hong Kong. He's really smart in math so he's going to tutor me in return for me showing him around Tomoeda."  
  
"Hong Kong! But isn't that where the gaki lives!?"  
  
Sakura was confused by his sudden outburst, but then realized what he was talking about. "Yeah," she said sadly. "Hong Kong is where Li-kun lives..."  
  
Touya saw his sister's reaction and cursed silently. He wondered why she even cared about the kid. He had tried to beat her up didn't he?  
  
"You can miss school today so I take you to the doctor soon," he said trying to change the subject. "That shirt bandage won't be sufficient for long."  
  
"Hoe?" Sakura hadn't realized that a piece of fabric had kept her from bleeding to death. At closer inspection, her theory was confirmed. It was a boy's Seijou shirt. On the front, the name "Li Shaolang" was neatly sketched on. Sakura saw this and blushed.  
  
'He really did save me!' She thought happily. "Hanyaaannnnn..."  
  
"Hun? Why are you so 'Hanyan'?"  
  
"Shaolang-kun..." she whispered dreamily. "He's so kawaii. Sweet. And caring..."  
  
Touya raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. Whatever Kaijuu. Just be careful from now on." Glancing at his watch, he realized the time. "The doctor's appointment is at 10:30. We have to go soon." With that, he left the room and waited for her to get ready.  
  
As soon as her brother left, thoughts about yesterday came crashing into her mind. She had been attacked but surprisingly, that wasn't what her mind was thinking about. She knew that she would end the relationship between her and Jutsun. If this were to happen a week ago, she would have been heartbroken. But to her surprise, it didn't bother her in the least. She felt that it was getting in the way of something. Something much bigger.  
  
'Shaolang-kun' she thought. 'I dreamed about you, and you came that day. I called for help and you came right away. Could this be destiny? Could you be my one and only? Li Shaolang...I think I'm falling in love with you...'  
  
  
  
*******  
  
  
  
"So have you accomplished your mission Shinjee?" Kiryle asked without looking up. Shinjee had just finished recovering from his wounds received from Syaoran. He now held a deep grudge against this human. How could such a pathetic creature hurt him as he had done?  
  
"Yes sir," Shinjee automatically replied. It was the truth. His mission was to prevent her from participating in any upcoming battle. Or so he thought.  
  
"So she is dead.," Kiryle questioned without emotion. It really didn't matter whether she lived or not. As long as she doesn't interfere with his destiny he was content.  
  
"No sir," Shinjee answered with his head bowed. Kiryle looked up for a moment waiting for an explanation of events. Surely this one girl could not have beaten him so bad that it took 7 hours to recover from with magic? When Shinjee first came back, he was unable to speak; coughing up blood if he tried. His skin was burned and chared and he was badly bruised.  
  
"I stabbed her, and she fainted. Then from nowhere, Li Xiao Lang showed up. The only reason he beat me was because he took me by surprise. He is no match for me if he doesn't have that advantage."  
  
Kiryle raised an eyebrow. Somehow, he doubted the fact that the only reason Li Xiao Lang won was because of surprise. He kept silent throughout the explanation.  
  
'I guess I'll let this fool keep his pride. A follower with good morale is a follower that is easy to control.' Kiryle thought with a grin.  
  
"Very well," he said after hearing the whole story. "I shall give you your next mission." At this Shinjee looked at him expectantly. "I want you to go capture Touya Kinomoto. If he puts up a fight, you may use force, but do NOT kill him."  
  
"Yes sir!" Shinjee saluted and left leaving Kiryle to ponder over things.  
  
'So Apsu wants to see me again,' he thought with distaste. 'I hate kissing up to that stupid bitch but I guess I have to for now. I can't kill her. At least not yet.' With that, he disappeared to meet with his "superior".  
  
  
  
*******  
  
Sakura had a bad feeling about going to the doctor. On the entire way there, her magical senses were on the edge. She could barely sense the magic that was present but it was there nonetheless. She bit her lip and hoped that her instincts were wrong.  
  
Touya saw her hands on her magic key. Realizing what that meant, he kept his senses alert. If they attacked his sister again, he would be there this time.  
  
After an uncomfortable 15 minute drive, he parked the car and stepped out. As he went over to help Sakura, something inside told him to turn around. He did and came face to face with a figure garbled in black. His green eyes were glaring at them both.  
  
"So we meet again, Card Mistress!"  
  
Realizing this was who attacked his sister on the previous night, Touya felt anger flare inside of him. "Get the hell away from my sister you son of a bitch!" he screamed menacingly.  
  
"Tsk tsk Kinomoto. Who says I'm after her anyway?" Shinjee said seemingly amused. Touya was about to attack when he heard Sakura behind him.  
  
"Firey! Release and Dispell. Firey!" Flames shot out at the figure. He seemed bored and waived his hands. The fire instantly dissapated.  
  
"I've had enough fire for one day," Shinjee explained calmly like it was no big deal. Sakura tried everything she could. Watery, Shot, Arrow, nothing seemed to work. She was still weak from yesterday. While she was recovering, he fired a black beam from the palm of his hands. Realizing it was heading straight towards her, she jumped out of the way in the last second landing on her injured leg. The building behind her exploded and knocked her forward further injuring her leg.  
  
When Touya heard his sister's screams, he charged. He tried to throw a right hook at the still standing Shinjee but was caught centimeters away from it's destination.  
  
"You Kinomotos bore me," he yawned and sent a knee into Touya's stomach. Touya kneeled over in pain.  
  
Without a seconds hesitation, Shinjee took the handle of his blade and connected it with the back of Touya's head. Summoning a portal, he picked up the unconscious Touya and jumped in disappearing seconds before another magical attack struck. Sakura stared helpless at where her brother had disappeared.  
  
"NOO!!! Onii-chan!!" She screamed and fell to her knees. The onlookers were gaping silently and police sirens could be heard but she didn't care. She broke down and cried.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I always felt that Sakura's brother meant a lot to her. She probably loves him the second most out of anyone. Who's first? Hmmm...  
  
Please review. I appreciate all the ones I'm getting and they just make me want to write more. Thanks. 


	10. The Power of Two

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
The Power of Two  
  
**********  
  
"Umph!"  
  
Touya grunted and rubbed the back of his neck as he was haphazzardly tossed onto the ground by Shinjee. He has woken up minutes before but after a brief and useless struggle, he gave up reluctantly. His attacker stepped back and bowed. Looking behind him, Touya was greeted with the coldest pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to pierce through him.  
  
"Welcome, Touya Kinomoto." Kiryle greeted his guest. Touya raised an eyebrow at how someone whom he had never before seen in his life knew him. "I apologize for any misgivings that Shinjee might have inflicted upon you." With that Shinjee gave him a grin full of teeth. Touya growled in response.  
  
"What do you want with me?" Touya demanded. The appearance of his present location resembled a grand throne room complete with an elegant plush chair at the end. Eyeing the scene, Touya couldn't find any means of an easy escape. Guards were positioned at every exit and he doubted that Shingee would just let him take off.  
  
"Simple. I want your presense here to lure a certain enemy to his death. I have no other need for you afterwards."  
  
'His?' Touya thought. 'So he's not after Sakura? Then who else would come to his rescue?'  
  
"And who would I be luring here?"  
  
"That does not concern you. Your role will simply be a captive here and cooperate with my plans."  
  
"Like hell I will!" Touya exclaimed. "You can take your cooperation and shove it up your ass!" Grabbing a torch from a nearby alter, he shoved it into Shinjee's face and ran.  
  
"Ahhhh!!" Shinjee screamed falling to his knees in pain and temporary blindness. "You bastard! I'm gonna tear you to pieces!"  
  
Wasting no time, Touya ran for the nearest exit. The two servants that were guarding the door advanced on him with their swords drawn. As he neared the guards, Touya dove for the end of the carpet they were standing on and pulled as hard as he could. The guards went flying backwards, weapons flying from their hands.  
  
Touya was upon them in an instant. He drove his knee into the first prone guard's upper spine, breaking his neck. Not pausing for a second, he reached out for the sword and blocked an incoming slash from the other guard. Using all the skills he had learned from years of martial arts training, he charged mercilessly. Within seconds, he had disarmed his opponent and gave him a kick to the temple. Before the guard even hit the floor, Touya was out the door.  
  
"Idiots! Capture him!" Kiryle screamed at his servants. With a wave of his hand, the throne exploded in black flames. Scared and fearful for their lives, the subordinates rushed out to capture the escaped prisoner. When the guards all rushed out of the room, Kiryle approached a still injured Shinjee and glared in distain and disgust.  
  
"You useless fool! Once again you have proved your incompetence. If you fail me once more, you will die very painfully!" Emphasizing his last words with a kick to Shinjee's stomach, Kiryle disappeared leaving a burned and bruised Shinjee to ponder his next move.  
  
**********  
  
The corridors of the fortress all looked exactly the same. Sprinting nonstop was very tiring. After running for at least half an hour, Touya picked a random door and ran inside.  
  
"What the hell?" Touya exclaimed. He had wondered into some kind of security office. The pictures on the monitors showed every hall and room in the entire complex. Every one except the room he was currently in. Looking at another console, he realized he could also pick up audio from the exact same locations. Picking the screen where he saw Shinjee addressing a group, he switched on the audio commentary.  
  
"-nt you to find him within the hour. If you don't, master Kiryle will have your heads. I'll try to find him through the security cameras. Now move!"  
  
'Shit!' Touya thought frantically. 'He's coming here!' Looking around, he found a spot to hide in and layed quietly. Within minutes, the door opened and three people walked in.  
  
"I want you two to constantly watch the monitors for any signs of him. If you do see anything, report immediately." Touya heard Shinjee's voice order the two that were with him. Fifteen minutes of silence followed and Touya began to get restless. He peeked around the box he was hiding behind and saw two figures scanning the screens for his presence. Just then he realized something. He didn't hear the door open or close.  
  
'Where is Shinjee?' Touya thought confused. 'I didn't hear him lea- '  
  
"Hello Touya Kinomoto." a voice said above him.  
  
'Damn it!' Touya cursed in frustration. Looking up, he saw the end of Shinjee's sword mere centimeters from his face.  
  
"It's lucky for you that Kiryle has ordered me not to kill you." Shinjee said menacingly. The surpressed fury of his voice was evident. Taking a good look at his captor, Touya could see the burn marks on his face. Wasting no time, Shinjee took the handle of his blade and smashed it into Touya's temple knocking him unconscious.  
  
"Take him to the holding cell before he wakes up." Shinjee ordered the two others that were in the room. "If you lose him, I'll kill you myself!"  
  
"Yessir!" they responded automatically. With that, Shinjee left to report the situation to Kiryle.  
  
  
  
******Seijou******  
  
"Does anyone know where Kinomoto-san is today?" the teacher questioned. Everyone remained silent. Eriol looked over in question to where Syaoran was sitting and got a nod in response. He knew something that everyone else didn't. Sighing, Eriol realized he would have to wait until lunch before getting an answer. Not getting a response, the teacher continued with her lesson. The rest of class went by quickly and uneventful.  
  
*****  
  
Entering the cafeteria, Eriol immediately sought out Syaoran. Seeing him sitting by himself at the far end, Eriol went over and joined him.  
  
"Hiiragizawa," Syaoran greeted simply. Eriol nodded in return and got straight to the point.  
  
"So what happend yesterday?"  
  
"She was attacked. Some guy in a cloak tried to kill her. I stopped him before he could and we fought. He managed to get away before I could finish him." Syaoran explained.  
  
"Was she hurt?" Eriol asked worried.  
  
"She was stabbed in the leg. I'm guessing that she took the day off to recover from her injuries. Maybe we should go check on her right now to see if she's ok." Syaoran suggested. Eriol agreed and nodded.  
  
"I think we should. I'll tell Tomoyo and maybe she'll want to come too. She still doesn't know who you are yet so don't slip."  
  
Syaoran nodded his thanks. "It's for the best. Go ahead and tell Daidouji. I'll meet you two at Sakura's house."  
  
Throwing away his lunch, Syaoran got up and left.  
  
******  
  
As he walked through town to get to Sakura's house, thoughts ran through Syaoran's mind. This whole situation was getting out of hand and if he didn't find the source, it would get much bigger. What had started off as a simple test turned out to be a life or death struggle with some unknown power.  
  
When Syaoran passed the electronics store, something caught his eye. The 12 o' clock news was on and reporting breaking news. Syaoran listened intently as the report continued.  
  
"I'm standing in front of the Tomoeda Medical Center where earlier today, a battle of some sort between a mysterious cloaked figure and a girl took place. Witnesses say that both had some sort of supernatural power. An explosion was felt at the supposed time of the battle that destroyed the storage building of the medical center. The cause of the explosion is still unknown but spectators claim the robe figure somehow caused it while attacking the girl. It is unknown at this time whether this is an example of a kind of warfare we will see in the future or if it is linked in any way with the Tomoeda Fair incident last week. The authorities are still baffled. One other note: Witnesses say there was an additional person involved in the battle. An unidentified male was also attacked by the robed figure and eventually 'taken' when the battle suddenly ended and all parties suddenly vanished. Some say that the mysterious girl actually cried for the loss before she escaped by unknown means. Stay tuned for the latest developments."  
  
Syaoran stood there watching the news report shocked. Images of the destroyed building were being aired with the report. The cause of destruction was evident. He had no doubt who was involved in the battle.  
  
'Shit! She was attacked again!' Syaoran thought as he raced to Sakura's house full speed. 'And this time, Touya is involved too!'  
  
Minutes later, he arrived at his destination panting and out of breath. There was a black limo parked in front of her house.  
  
'So they got here before me.' Syaoran thought and rang the doorbell. Eriol answered and let him in. He was about to say something when Syaoran cut him off.  
  
"I know what happend." Syaoran stated. "I saw it on the news as I came here. How is she?"  
  
"Not good." Eriol answered as he led Syaoran to the living room where a distressed Sakura was crying on Tomoyo's shoulder. It ripped his heart to pieces watching her in so much pain. He had long ago vowed to protect her and now felt useless. He had failed her.  
  
"I'm sorry Sakura. I'm so sorry..." he whispered bowing his head so she couldn't hear him. Eriol put a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Eriol shaking his head.  
  
"It's not your fault Syaoran. There's nothing you can do right now."  
  
Syaoran pondered his words for a moment but then determination filled him.  
  
"Yes there is!" he growled and dragged Eriol out of the living room and into the kitchen. "We're going to rescue Touya."  
  
"Wha- How?" Eriol asked confused. Syaoran had never looked so determined before. This was a side he had never witnessed.  
  
"Simple. We track down his aura. Even though he has no innate magical abilities, he can still sense other magical beings."  
  
"Ok that's the easy part. But how will we get him out and defeat whoever kidnapped him?" Eriol reasoned. He was definitly no coward but what Syaoran was doing seemed like suicide.  
  
"Diversions and Clow magic. That would get us past most of our obstacles. I have faith in you Hiiragizawa. Don't let me down." Syaoran said with a grin. Eriol grinned back.  
  
"I never thought I would see this day. Receiving a compliment from my cute little descendant!"  
  
"Shut up Hiiragizawa." Syaoran shot back without hostility. They walked back to the living room preparing for an explanation.  
  
Sakura had finished crying but her eyes were red and her hair in disarray. Tomoyo was tearful as well. Both turned and looked at the two whom had entered.  
  
"Shaolang-kun!" Sakura exclaimed as she noticed him for the first time. She limped over and gave him a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're here! Thank you for everything..." she trailed off.  
  
Syaoran only nodded. He kept himself quiet and let Eriol do the talking.  
  
"Well here's what we are planning to do..." Eriol started to explain. Sakura wasn't paying attention. She buried her head in Syaoran's chest and inhaled his scent. Pleasant shivers ran down her spine as he played with strands of her hair.  
  
Tomoyo wasn't listening either. She was engrossed in watching pair interact with each other. Dispite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't help but let out a 'kawaii' escape.  
  
After speaking for five minutes, Eriol threw in a sentence that had no relationship to what they were talking about and his fears came true. Only Syaoran turned and looked at him oddly. Sakura was in her own little world and Tomoyo was too busy watching the two of them.  
  
"I think you better explain." Eriol said dryly.  
  
Syaoran sighed and started from the beginning. "Sakura," he started and waited for her to look at him. When she did he continued. "We're going to rescue him."  
  
Sakura was suddenly alert. Her eyes were shining at the thought. "Really?" she asked full of renewed hope. It didn't matter that ten minutes before she had thought it was all over. It didn't matter that odds were stacked highly against them. What mattered was that Li Shaolang was telling her that they would rescue Touya. Li Shaolang. Her savior. The person who she is falling in love with. That was all that mattered.  
  
"Really." Syaoran repeated. "No matter what happens, I promise I'll bring him back." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. Tomoyo let out another kawaii.  
  
Eriol watched the entire exchange in amusement. Syaoran had undoubtedly changed in seven years. Realizing that Syaoran hadn't fully explained the details, he coughed to gain everyone's attention.  
  
"The plan is that we track down Touya using his aura as guide. To gain access to wherever he is held, we will use misdirection. A field where I'm proud to say I am best at." Eriol explained and was rewarded with three pairs of raised eyebrows. Ignoring the gestures, he continued. "Once inside, Li and I will depend on luck but mostly on skill."  
  
Sakura looked up startled. "What do you mean? I'm going too!"  
  
Eriol started to reply but was cut off by Syaoran.  
  
"Sakura," he started. "You're still hindered by that leg. To pull this off, we need speed, not power. And besides, I think Touya would personally hunt us down for putting you in danger."  
  
Sakura nodded understandingly. "But be careful. And...how did you know about my power?"  
  
Syaoran mentally slapped himself. He had let that slip. "Well...uh...I'll explain later. Hurry up Hiiragizawa!" he said and quickly exited the room.  
  
Eriol watched Syaoran's disappearing figure and then turned to Tomoyo. He bent over and gave her a butterfly kiss. She enveloped him in a tight hug.  
  
"Be careful Eriol-kun. Come back to me."  
  
"I will Tomoyo-chan. I promise." He held her for a bit longer before releasing her and turning to leave. "Aishiteru Tomoyo-chan."  
  
"Aishiteru Eriol-kun."  
  
Sakura stood still during the exchange. She watched her two friends and felt something in her heart. Something she was now well aware of.  
  
'Aishiteru...Shaolang-kun...'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Again thank you for any reviews. I truly do appreciate them. 


	11. I Promise

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
I Promise  
  
********  
  
"What are the chances that this will actually work?" Eriol asked. He got a grunt in response.  
  
"Probably very small," Syaoran admitted as he pushed through a huge crowd. They were currently treking through downtown Tokyo to where Syaoran sensed Touya's aura. His description of "over there" didn't help matters much. They still had plenty of searching to do.  
  
"You were fairly eager to commit to this earlier. Why? Do you really like her that much?" Eriol asked trying to lighten up the situation. Syaoran just looked at him.  
  
"Oh, so it's the same old I'll sacrifice my life for your hapiness routine." Eriol said with a humorous smirk.  
  
Syaoran thought for a moment before giving him a lopsided grin. "Yeah. I guess you could call it that..." he trailed off. Eriol's smirk faded and was replaced with a thoughtful expression.  
  
"You should have told her Syaoran. About who you are. I think she deserves to know that at the very least."  
  
Syaoran shook his head. "It's not worth it. After this whole ordeal, I'll have to return to Hong Kong. The clan wouldn't have it any other way." Eriol started to say something but Syaoran cut him off. "Besides, Li Syaoran no longer exists. I exist as Li Xiao Lang, the future leader of my clan and as Li Shaolang, your new classmate who has transfered here temporarily."  
  
"What are you saying? Are you just going to run away from your problems and abandon her? Don't be a coward...Syaoran!" Eriol yelled angrily emphasizing his name. Several people around them instantly looked their way.  
  
Syaoran bowed his head and didn't say anything. When he received no response, Eriol sighed and continued. "I know how much you love her. Yes love. I'm not blind Syaoran, and I can see how deep your feelings are. Trust me when I say that running away won't solve anything."  
  
"That doesn't matter anymore. It's too late now." Syaoran said so softly that it was almost inaudible. Eriol shook his head at the response. This wasn't the Syaoran that he was proud to have as a descendant. The one he knew was full of fire and felt that he could accomplish anything. This one was pathetic.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Eriol demanded. "How can you just give up on love like that without a second thought? And you call yourself a Li? You're a disgrace to your whole clan!"  
  
That remark caught Syaoran off guard. He was expecting harsh statements but a disgrace to his family? That was going to far. He turned and glared at Eriol, amber blue eyes blazing.  
  
"I am NOT a disgrace!" Syaoran growled. Eriol raised an eyebrow at this statement.  
  
"Prove it." he said simply. Syaoran looked at him confused.  
  
"How?" He would do everything he could to rescue Touya and put an end to whoever plotted the whole thing, but that wasn't the proof Eriol was looking for. What else could he do? Unless he meant...  
  
"Reveal your identity AND your feelings to her."  
  
"I can't. That would just complicate things further than they already are. Better to leave Japan liked as a new friend than hated as an old rival."  
  
"I don't know about all that but one thing I'm sure of. She does not hate Li Syaoran. I didn't say this but Tomoyo once said that the person she loved most was y-"  
  
"We're here." Syaoran quickly cut him off. He couldn't take the knowledge of who Sakura loved most. Eriol looked up. A huge hundred story skyscraper loomed ahead of him.  
  
"What the hell? But this is Sony Headquarters!" Eriol exclaimed. The sun was brilliantly reflected off of the building's entire glass structure. Syaoran nodded.  
  
"This is definitly where Touya's aura is coming from. I can barely feel it but I'm positive it's here."  
  
Eriol closed his eyes and concentrated. "You're right. But...there are several others here too. Their powers are massive. There's no way we can take them all on!"  
  
"If we're lucky, then we won't have to. Come on. I've got a crazy idea." Syaoran said walking into the building. As they entered, people looked at them funny. Everyone was dressed professionally and they came in wearing school uniforms. Armed guards walked around displaying their uzis. Eriol was getting anxious.  
  
"So what's your crazy idea?" he asked when one of the guards started to approach them.  
  
"Hey you two! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Watch." Syaoran said calmly. Quickly chanting something, magical flames lit a pile of papers near a sprinkler. The alarm went off instantly and the entire building started getting doused by water. As he expected, there was a general panic and chaos that followed.  
  
"FIRE!!" people shouted the obvious and ran for the nearest exit. Security was forgotten as the guard ran alongside the panicing businessmen without another regard to the two.  
  
'What cheap security they have here.' Syaoran thought and motioned for Eriol to follow him. They quickly found the door to the stairs and ran inside.  
  
"You probably just cost Sony billions of dollars in revenue." Eriol chuckled. "It'll take them hours to figure out what happend and even longer to clear out the building. Time is precious in big corporations. Not to mention all the paperwork and computer networks you just destroyed..."  
  
Syaoran just shook his head. Water droplets flew everywhere. Eriol noticed something about his friend's hair that was lit up by strong florescent light.  
  
"Your hair color is changing back."  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise. He had been so busy lately that he hadn't been keeping up with his physical appearance.  
  
"Crap! I forgot all about it. I haven't had the time to redo the dye. Is it noticable?"  
  
"Not really. I just now noticed." Eriol replied.  
  
Syaoran sighed in relief. "Well, if we get out of he-"  
  
"When we get out of here." Eriol corrected. Syaoran was slow to respond. After a while he just nodded. Eriol narrowed his eyes at the lack of resolution.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I have no intention of letting this be a suicide mission. Let's get something straight here. We are not going into this with any sacrificial thoughts. Understand?"  
  
Syaoran didn't answer. He kept walking down the steps.  
  
"Damn it Syaoran! I'm not joking! If you don't promise that you won't do anything stupid, then we're aborting this whole operation!" Eriol yelled.  
  
Syaoran turned around and looked at him with fierce determination. "Don't worry about that. I won't." Eriol looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Whatever. Just don't forget about it." Eriol said and then changed the subject. "How close are we? I think we've descended about 10 floors from ground level."  
  
"We're getting there. The auras are definitly getting stronger. Try to hide yours as much as you can so we won't get discovered."  
  
After ten minutes, Syaoran suddenly stopped.  
  
"What are you doing?" Eriol asked confused as he looked at the blank wall Syaoran stood in front of.  
  
"Watch." Walking back to the opposite side, Syaoran ran full speed and put all his energy and momentum into a kick. The concrete cracked and crumbled revealing a dark passage.  
  
"A secret passage." Eriol muttered. "How very cliche."  
  
"Shut up, Hiiragizawa." Syaoran said dryly. "How about some light?"  
  
Eriol complied and a ball of fire appeared in his hand lighting up the tunnel. The tunnel ended fifty meters away with a door. Walking up to it, Eriol opened the door surprised to find it unlocked. They entered quietly and found themselves in a corridor without an end on either side in sight.  
  
"Woah!" Eriol exclaimed. "How can a place like this exist directly under a business district?"  
  
"Probably left over from a previous infastructure that was forgotten when Sony built it's office complex on top." Syaoran reasoned. "It doesn't matter. We gotta find Touya."  
  
Eriol followed Syaoran's lead and took off in the general direction of where he felt Touya was being held.  
  
**********  
  
"So he's here at last!" Kiryle said grinning wickedly. "And not only that, but Eriol Hiiragizawa is with him! How fortunate! Now we can take care of them both."  
  
"Yes sir! Leave it to me!" Shinjee exclaimed. They were currently watching Syaoran and Eriol dash to where Touya was from the security cameras.  
  
"Very well." Kiryle agreed. "Tell the guards not to interfere. I want them confident of their escape before you destroy them."  
  
"I shall take pleasure in killing Li Xiao Lang myself." Shinjee said before leaving the room.  
  
"So you shall." Kiryle said to himself. "And so shall I of killing you..."  
  
**********  
  
"Goddamnit!" Touya grumbled as he punched a nearby wall. It had been three hours since he woke up from his second capture. He had tried every method he could think of to escape but none of them worked. The iron bars wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried to pull or push them. There were no guards to be tricked and no windows anywhere in the room. To top it all off, he still had the concussion from being knocked unconscious. Things weren't pleasant.  
  
Suddenly, two figures burst into the room and ran right towards the cell he was kept in. Without a moment's hesitation, the first one chanted something and the bars melted into liquid iron. Touya stood stunned and unmoving.  
  
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Eriol shouted at him. With exasparation, he reached into the cell and pulled Touya along. Regaining his composure, Touya examined his rescuers.  
  
"Hey, I know you!" he said to Eriol who looked at him funny.  
  
"Of course you know me. I've only been good friends with your sister for the past seven years!"  
  
Touya merely shrugged and then turned his attention to Syaoran. He couldn't quite place where he had seen Syaoran before.  
  
"I've seen you before." Touya said searching his brain for a name but finding nothing. "Oh yeah! You were with Sakura when she was attacked. Who are you?"  
  
"That's not important. We have to get out of here before they find out you're gone. Let's go!" With that Syaoran took off leaving Touya to ponder.  
  
"We'll get to the bottom of this later!" Touya yelled and then followed.  
  
Syaoran ran in front with Eriol following right behind. Unfortunately, he now had no idea where he was going. They didn't leave any return marks to follow. After another five minutes of sprinting, they ended up in the throne room.  
  
"What are we doing back here?" Touya demanded. Syaoran didn't know how to respond. He hated the feeling of being helpless in a maze. They were lost.  
  
"I don't know. You lead Eriol." Eriol nodded and started back out but a voice stopped them.  
  
"A pleasure to see you here!" The three turned around to find Shinjee standing by a pillar. Touya and Syaoran glared at him.  
  
"It will please master Kiryle very much to know of your demise. Especially you Li Xiao Lang!" Shinjee exclaimed. At that name, Touya suddenly turned his glare towards Syaoran.  
  
"YOU!! I knew I've seen you somewhere before! You're the Gaki!" He shouted menacingly. Syaoran turned and faced him.  
  
"Surprised?" he said emotionlessly. "Now is definitly not the time for this."  
  
Touya gritted his teeth. "Fine." he spit out. "But when this is over..."  
  
"Haha! You fools talk like you have a chance to make it out of here alive!" Shinjee taunted them. Without another word, he powered up. Bolts of black electricity shot out from his aura and filled the entire room.  
  
"Watch out!" Eriol shouted and ducked an oncoming bolt. He took out his clow wand and Syaoran instantly materialized his sword. Touya picked up an ax from a nearby weapons stand. Seeing this, Shinjee laughed.  
  
"How pathetic. Set's see how tough you really are." Without warning, he charged aiming his blade at Touya. When it descended, Touya blocked it with the shaft of the ax and jumped back. Seeing this, Syaoran charged from the side catching Shinjee on the upper arm. Turning in fury, he unleashed blow after blow at the person who cut him. Syaoran managed to block every attack but tripped and fell backwards. Pressing the advantage, Shinjee lunged in for the killing blow but was blasted backwards by Eriol. Still dizzy from the fierce magical attack, Shinjee didn't see Touya until it was almost too late. He avoided getting decapitated only to get cut across the cheek. Jumping back and howling in pain, he fell back to the opposite side of the room. The other three stood side by side awaiting his next move.  
  
"You bastards! I'll make each of your deaths a thousand times more painful than this!" Shouting at his opponents, Shinjee powered up for his magical attacks. Gusts of wind knocked everyone off their feet. Touya stood until his footing gave way and was thrown against a wall knocking his breath out. Eriol tried to attack with his own magic but was unsuccessful. Spell after spell was repeled by an invisible shield around Shinjee.  
  
"Let's see how you handle this!" Shinjee shouted aiming a black beam towards Eriol. Seeing this, he barely jumped out of the way before a large chunk of the wall behind him exploded throwing him forward. Syaoran charged a distracted Shinjee but was met with the same invisible field. It shocked him and threw him backwards.  
  
Seeing every opponent on the ground, Shinjee went to the nearest prone enemy for the kill. From across the room, Syaoran saw Shinjee approach an injured Touya. He knew he didn't have the speed to make it over there but with a last ditch effort, he hurled his sword with all his strength in his general direction. Shinjee didn't notice this as he was prepared to deliver the finishing blow until a sword protruded out of his chest from his back. He turned around with unbelieving eyes.  
  
"Y-you! How?" Shinjee managed to choke out. Blood was now dripping out of his mouth. "It d-doesn't matter with my death...I will forever...b- be remembered as the one who d-defeated you three! There is no escape. This place is w-wired with C-4 explosives!"  
  
With a last bit of strength, Shinjee pulled out a remote control detonator. "Die!" Pressing the button, the entire foundation deeply embedded in the earth was ripped apart. The world threatened to crumble around them.  
  
Quickly losing footing and room to manuver, Eriol ran over to Syaoran and Touya.  
  
"What are we going to do?" He shouted over the rumble. The throne room would collapse any second and all three knew it. "I don't have the strength to get us out!"  
  
"I do." Syaoran informed them. "But I only have the power for two people." Eriol's eyes widened as he realized what Syaoran was planning to do. Slowly Syaoran started to gather up his remaining powers.  
  
"Take care of her for me..." he whispered but it was heard over the rumble of rocks crashing around them. Eriol desperately tried to change his friend's mind.  
  
"Syaoran! What do you think you're doing! There's no way in hell that I'll leave you behind by yourse-" he was cut off by another piece of the ceiling crumbling.  
  
Syaoran smiled sadly but had a look of determination. "I promised her something. And now, I'm making sure I keep it." As soon as he spoke those words he chanted his teleportation spell. A green mist appeared near Touya and Eriol engulfing them completely and then vanishing. With no strength left, Syaoran fell to his knees and waited for the end with no regret in his heart.  
  
**********  
  
Eriol and Touya appeared two blocks away from the underground explosion. The blast ripped the foundation of the Sony Headquarters causing it to crumble to the ground. Glass flew for miles as the gigantic building toppled over. Watching this, Eriol bowed his head. Pain and guilt tore at his heart. There was nothing he could do now.  
  
Touya stood right beside him. A deep feeling of regret ripped through him. He now knew how deep Syaoran's feelings ran for his sister. And now it was too late.  
  
"The G-gaki! He's...he's..." Touya trailed off unable to finish.  
  
"Dead..." Eriol said choked full of emotion. His azure eyes clouded over with tears. One broke free and slid down his cheek preparing for the countless others that were bound to follow.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Thank you for reading. I'm about 1/2 finished with Destiny Challenged. 


	12. Confusion

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
***IMPORTANT***: I've decided to DOWNRATE this story to PG-13 because ffnet's new search engine is unfair to authors using R ratings. Their stories aren't seen 3/4 of the time because people often forget to set the search to "All Ratings". The only question about this fic was chapter 2 but I think I gave fair enough warning for that in the summary and the beginning of that chapter. The rest is okay and I'll restrain from putting too much in later chapters.  
  
  
  
Also: Thanks to SajikoNaredasa for pointing out my mistake in Ch5. My apologies for a mis-translation.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Amora  
  
  
  
Confusion  
  
********  
  
'How could I have been so stupid? What kind of friend am I to let him sacrifice himself?' These were the questions running through Eriol's head as he and Touya slowly walked back. In the midst of the chaos, both had rushed to help the people injured by flying glass and debris. Fortunately, only a few casualties were reported.  
  
'If Syaoran hadn't set off the fire alarm, the number of lives lost would have been catastrophic.' Eriol thought grimly. His mind wandered back to his descendant. The sincerity of Syaoran's eyes during those final moments burned into his mind. They were so honest and calm as if he were expecting this to happen. Eriol choked back a sob.  
  
"Hiiragizawa," Touya said breaking the silence. "What was the ga-Li doing in Japan?" He bit his tongue while correcting himself. Some habits were hard to change, but that's the least he could do.  
  
"Clan business." Eriol responded slowly. At Touya's inquisitive look, he began to explain. "Syaoran was next in line as the leader of the Li clan. He was everything a leader could be. Smart, determined, honest, and most of all powerful. Unfortunately, the elders saw him as a threat and decided to get rid of him."  
  
Touya's eyes widened at this piece of information. He clenched his jaw and growled. Sure he didn't like Syaoran, but that was one thing. Being hunted by your own family was another. Even the gaki didn't deserve that.  
  
"So his clan is behind all of this?" Touya demanded. If this were so, he was ready to go to Hong Kong and cause havoc. They would pay for hurting his sister and kidnapping him.  
  
"I don't think so," Eriol responded. "There is no way that the clan summoned some of the monsters we've faced."  
  
"Damnit!" Touya growled. "This is just perfect. We're back at square one. Wait...maybe not. I think I met the leader of my kidnappers when they threw me into that throne room the first time. And then Shinjee said something about a 'Master Kiryle' when addressing a group to capture me. I guess that would be him."  
  
"Kiryle...Kiryle...nope. Never heard of him." Eriol said shaking his head. The situation looked bleak. They were up against an unknown enemy with hidden motives and powers. On top of that, Kiryle probably had many subordinates. And it had taken all three of them to defeat Shinjee.  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
Eriol pondered for a few seconds before responding. "Someone has to inform Sakura what happened. You're her brother, so you should tell her."  
  
"What! And cause her more pain? I don't think so! Besides, she doesn't need to know about Li. She doesn't even know he's in Japan! Right?"  
  
"Well, technically no. But..." Eriol trailed off. New tears were forming as he thought about what Sakura's reaction would be. She would be devastated.  
  
"But what? There's absolutely no reason why we should burden her with the knowledge of the gaki who left 7 years ago." Touya reasoned.  
  
"It's not as simple as that." Eriol shook his head and continued. "Didn't you notice the dark texture of his hair? Or his blue eyes?"  
  
"What's your point? I don't s- Hun? Doesn't Li have brown hair? And I know for a fact that he doesn't have blue eyes. So that wasn't Li?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "It was. But he wasn't known as Li Syaoran to anyone else except me. He hid his identity for physical and emotional security. The only way I found out was the fact that I was carefully examining his aura during a soccer game. Even that was due to a mistake though. He even hid his magical abilities."  
  
Touya merely raised an eyebrow. So what if the gaki changed his appearance? As long as nobody knew of his presence then he wouldn't be missed. Yet here was Eriol telling him that things were far more complicated. Why? He racked his brain for an answer but could only come up with one event of minor significance. That couldn't be it. Could it?  
  
"Umm.what name did the gaki go by while in Japan?" Touya asked a little uncertain. He had that one nagging suspicion and it wouldn't go away.  
  
"He changed his name to Li Shaolang. Why?" Eriol asked curiously. Touya's eyes instantly narrowed as his fears were confirmed.  
  
********Flashback*********  
  
"Shaolang-kun..." she whispered softly to herself but also loud enough for Touya to hear.  
  
"Eh? So you know this kid?" He questioned.  
  
"Hai!"  
  
'He really did save me!' She thought happily. "Hanyaaannnnn..."  
  
"Hun? Why are you so 'Hanyan'?"  
  
"Shaolang-kun..." she whispered dreamily. "He's so kawaii. Sweet. And caring..."  
  
  
  
********End Flashback*******  
  
"Goddamnit!" Touya growled. " I should have known that stupid baka was the gaki in disguise! When I get my hands on him I-" He stopped abruptly as Eriol glared at him. "Kami-sama.I didn't realize."  
  
"The least you could do is show a little respect to the departed." Eriol whispered harshly. "What did Syaoran do that makes you hate him so much?"  
  
"He tried to beat up my sister! And besides that, he's a gaki with absolutely no manners. I don't know why Sakura even talks to him." Touya shook his head in wonderment.  
  
"You have no idea." Eriol started softly trying to hold in his emotions. When he saw Touya unconvinced, he exploded. "YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING IDEA HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER!" Eriol screamed at the taller man beside him with fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.  
  
Touya stood there silently and too stunned to speak. Eriol's outburst and vulgarity shocked him. He didn't see Eriol often, but when he did, Eriol always displayed the same placid and jovial mask with the trademark innocent smile. Now, however, every bit of that mask has been stripped off.  
  
Eriol attempted to calm his emotions before continuing. Taking three deep breaths, he looks away from the older man. "She is everything to him. He denied it but it still showed blatantly." He turns back to Touya and stares him right in the eye. "That was back in fourth grade Kinomoto-san. Do you know how much seven years of unrequited love hurts?" Eriol finished softly.  
  
Touya's mouth hangs open as he digests this bit of information. "But he-" he starts to respond but is cut off. Eriol holds up his hand to signal that he isn't finished.  
  
"I'm sure that either Kero or Sakura has told you about the Clow Cards and about Clow, my past reincarnation." Eriol stated and waited for an answer. Touya nodded.  
  
"Good." Eriol continued. "Now I'll tell you all about my descendant and why he acts the way he does."  
  
"Descendant?" Touya interrupts startled. "You have kids already?"  
  
"Not of me but of my predecessor. Of Clow." Eriol smiled for the first time in a long day. "My descendant was destined to lead his people to greatness; to protect those who suffer from tyranny and oppression. You knew him simply as.'the brat'"  
  
********Kinomoto Residence********  
  
"Don't worry Sakura-chan. Everything is going to be just fine." Tomoyo reassured Sakura as she paced around the room nervously. She hated this feeling. The feeling of utter helplessness and vulnerability. She wanted desperately to go with Eriol and 'Shaolang' to rescue her brother but relented because she knew she would only slow them down. The risk wasn't worth it. Her brother's life was on the line. Suddenly, her thoughts turned to the mysterious boy who had crashed into her life.  
  
'Shaolang-kun' She thought with a dreamy look plastered on her face. Tomoyo caught that look and grinned mischievously.  
  
"So Sakura-chan.what are you thinking about? Or should I ask who?"  
  
"Um.Eriol!" She said in a hurry without thinking.  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
Realizing her mistake, she blushed furiously while waving her arms around frantically. "I'm sorry Tomoyo-chan! That's not who I meant. Honest!"  
  
"Really.So who did you have in mind eh?" Tomoyo said with a smirk on her face. Sakura groaned as she realized that she gave herself away. Trying not to further incriminate herself, she kept silent.  
  
"This wouldn't have to do with a certain new transfer student from Hong Kong would it?" Tomoyo asked with a glint in her eye. Sakura's eyes widened. How could she possibly know already? Blushing, she lowered her head and nodded.  
  
"I knew it!" exclaimed Tomoyo with anticipation in her voice. The camera was out instantly and she zoomed in for a close-up of her friend's embarrassed facial expression. "Kawaii! I'll call this Sakura's Rebound Confession!"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan."  
  
"This will be so kawaii! I haven't had an opportunity to tape my favorite subject in a long time!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"I can see it now! I'll tape every minute of Li-kun's romantic confession of his undying love for you! This will be my best tape yet!" Tomoyo said elated with stars in her eyes.  
  
"Hoeeeeee."  
  
Tomoyo continued her ramblings for a few minutes before noticing the serious look on Sakura's face. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I sense a magical aura approaching." Sakura said simply while trying to concentrate. Tomoyo bit her lip. She knew what this could mean.  
  
"It's Eriol!" Sakura cried almost jumping up with excitement. "And Onii-chan is with him!" No sooner had she said that then the front door opened and two wary figures stepped inside. Sakura immediately got up and hugged Touya who looked a bit disoriented.  
  
"Onii-chan! I'm so glad you're okay!" she said happily. He hugged her back and ruffled her hair a bit but didn't say anything. His voice would betray his emotions and ruin her good mood.  
  
"I knew you could do it Eriol-kun!" Tomoyo cried and threw herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly as he leaned down and kissed her softly. The kiss deepened when he let out all of his emotions from the previous hour. The pain, regret, guilt, and love made him kiss her with more fervor than ever before. They stayed like that until their lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and forced them apart gasping for air.  
  
"Wow." Tomoyo sighed happily. "Aishiteru Eriol-kun."  
  
"Aishiteru Tomoyo-chan." Eriol said with a small smile for her benefit. Tomoyo immediately caught the tone of his voice and looked at him quizzically.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked in concern. Eriol pulled her into a tight embrace and held her before looking at Touya expectantly. Tomoyo sighed and laid her head on his chest. Something was wrong. She could feel it. But what?  
  
"Eriol-kun, where's Shaolang-kun?" Sakura asked as she realized he was missing. Eriol looked at her sadly and Touya came over and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She stared at them in confusion.  
  
"Kaijuu, he." Touya paused trying to choose the best words to put the situation in. "He has gone back to where he belongs."  
  
"He went back to Hong Kong?" Sakura asked incredulous.  
  
"No Kaijuu." Touya said softly. "He is now watching over you from afar."  
  
"What are you trying to say Onii-chan? I don't understand."  
  
"He sacrificed himself so Eriol and I could escape. We hung on till the very end."  
  
"S-sacrificed? B-but doesn't that mean." Sakura said unsure of what to make of her brother's words. Her brain understood perfectly but her heart couldn't take it.  
  
Touya nodded. "I'm sorry Kaijuu. But in the end, all he wanted was your happiness." He looked down at her face examining the various emotions going through her. Anger. Fear. Disbelief. They all showed themselves for a fraction of a second before being overwhelmed by sadness.  
  
"NO!" She screamed vehemently as tears streamed down her cheeks. "It's not true. I don't believe it! SHAOLANG-KUN!" She turned and ran up the stairs to the comforts of her own room ignoring the sharp pain in her leg.  
  
"Kami-sama." Eriol whispered holding a shocked and silent Tomoyo. "When she finds out the truth she'll be beyond devastation."  
  
"T-the truth? There's more?" Tomoyo asked quietly.  
  
"Hai. Li Shaolang is the future leader of the Li clan from Hong Kong. You knew him simply as.Syaoran-kun."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes were as wide as saucers as she learned the truth. How could she have not recognized him? "No! This can't be happening!" Tomoyo said sobbing into Eriol's shirt. "Poor Sakura-chan."  
  
Eriol wrapped his arms around her in a comforting gesture and buried his face in her hair. "I know koishi.I know."  
  
  
  
  
  
*********Hong Kong**********  
  
"Kiryle-sama! We have the base of operations up and running. There shouldn't be any problems utilizing this city's resources by means of osmosis. I'll start the probe for high-energy deposits that we can use to refine."  
  
"Excellent." Kiryle nodded. Everything was on schedule. The energy extracted would serve to make weapons that would draw its power from magical sources. Weapons that would be more powerful than anything made previously by the human race. With the elements on his side, he would be invincible. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his revere.  
  
"Kiryle-sama, there seems to be something blocking our psychic probing near the outskirts of town. It seems to be a person standing outside a large house. Wait.this can't be right. The house itself contains magic!"  
  
"Hmmm.put that person on the view screen."  
  
"Yes sir!" A picture suddenly appeared as a hologram in front of Kiryle.  
  
"Identify this person Huang." Kiryle instructs the probe operator.  
  
"Hai. Identifying." As Huang uses the magical database, Kiryle scrutinizes the person on the screen. She was in her early twenties and breath takingly beautiful. Her dark mahogany eyes shinned in the sunlight and the depth of her hair was further outlined by the robes she wore. Jade robes made of the softest silk outlined her feminism.  
  
"She is Li Fuutie, older sister of Li Xiaolang. That's the Li Mansion that's blocking our psychic probes!"  
  
"Bring her to me." Kiryle said grinning. "Even with all this power, ruling can be boring and tedious. She'd make a perfect companion."  
  
"Of course Kiryle-sama. But what about the other occupants of the house? Surely they wouldn't just let us take her."  
  
Kiryle's grin turned into a smile of pure malice. Anyone getting in his way would be made an example of. The Li clan was no exception.  
  
"Slaughter them all!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: As clarification on the "elements" part, I've decided to use a system of "power stones". They contain magical energy waiting to be extracted and used. I've read many fics where the 'bad guy' wants to take over the world and tries to do it by themselves. I just can't imagine this. The world wouldn't bow that easily. Even with all that power, I still think Kiryle needs supporters with enough firepower to carry out his plans.  
  
As always, your reviews are appreciated and used to their full advantage when writing this fic. 


	13. In Troubled Times

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Amora  
  
Chapter 13  
  
In Troubled Times  
  
**********  
  
Li Fuutie stood motionless in the garden as she stared at the cloudless sky. Even in this perfect weather, something gnawed at her heart. Something had happened to her little brother. Even with the limited magic she did possess, she could still feel his strong green aura from across the ocean.  
  
Ever since Syaoran was born, Fuutie knew what the elders expected of him. He was to be the cold, powerful, and fearless leader that obeyed orders without question. The training he went through vigorously tried to erase every emotion and labeled them as weaknesses. Fortunately, they weren't completely successful and her brother retained some semblance of human emotions.  
  
Fuutie smiled wistfully. She would never forget the time where her brother's hard concrete exterior cracked for the first time.  
  
******Flashback******  
  
A twelve-year-old Syaoran dodged the lightning bolt thrown his way. Glaring at his attacker, he sprinted towards his opponent thrusting his sword into the pavement and propelled himself upward. Spinning in the air flawlessly, he dodged the hacks and slashes of a sword aiming to kill. Syaoran quickly turned and aimed a well placed kick to his attacker's sword arm effectively disarming him before spinning his other leg so that his foot connected with his opponent's temple. All this was done in one fluid motion as Syaoran descended.  
  
Wasting no time, Syaoran was on the larger form in an instant. Using his momentum as an advantage, Syaoran tackled the man to the ground before noticing that there was no resistance. His opponent was already unconscious. Syaoran shook his head in disgust as he went to retrieve his sword. Li Xian was supposed to be the strongest member of the clan. And yet here he say unconscious before Syaoran even had a chance to use magic.  
  
'How am I ever going to get stronger?' Syaoran thought solemnly. For the past two years he had realized how outmatched he was in every category by the Card Mistress and his so-called ancestor. 'I'm so pathetic.'  
  
After notifying Wei and informing him of Li Xian's condition, Syaoran went to find the elders and demand more rigorous training. If he continued to practice like this, he powers would never progress past the level they have already reached. While lost in thought, he unknowingly walked by the living room where all of his sisters were. He was instantly hit in the face by a pillow. As the shock and feathers died down, he turned and glared at all of them.  
  
"What the hell are you doing!" He screamed at them. They glanced at each other innocently before all turning to him once more.  
  
"We don't want to see our little wolf so serious." Fuutie responded with a grin. The others giggled and made Syaoran even angrier.  
  
"You bakas!" Syaoran shouted. The others stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Secretive smiles appeared on each face.  
  
"Hmmm...a Japanese word!" Xiefa commented jokingly. The others caught on quickly.  
  
"You must be thinking of Japan."  
  
"Could it be something in Japan that attracts our Xiaolang so much?"  
  
"I think it's someone." Fuutie said with finality. "The Card Mistress no doubt?" As soon as she said this Syaoran blushed crimson but tried to hide it with a glare. It failed miserably.  
  
"Xiaolang is bushing! Oh he's so cute!" Feimei gushed as she pinched Syaoran's rosy cheeks undaunted by his scowl.  
  
"She must really be something!" Xiefa agreed and patted Syaoran on the head. "It's okay little brother. You don't have to hide anything from us."  
  
Syaoran's temper snapped after a few more comments from Feimei. "That's enough! Raiden Sho-" he chanted but was interrupted when another pillow hit him in the face. After spitting out some more feathers, he was greeted by Fuutie's grinning face.  
  
"Now don't be so asinine Xiaolang. Or we'll have to resort to other measures." Fuutie said with a gleam in her eye. Syaoran glared at her.  
  
"And what can you do?" He challenged. Fuutie nodded quickly to the other three and with one quick motion, they picked him up and carried him outside.  
  
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Syaoran protested and struggled but to no avail. He punched and kicked but couldn't get out of their grasp. "Put me down!"  
  
"Whatever you say little brother." Fuutie said mischievously. Uttering a startling yelp, Syaoran found himself tossed haphazardly into the lake. After a few seconds, he came to the surface with a shocked look on his face.  
  
"That was uncalled for." Syaoran growled at them. His sisters were grinning at him from the shore and laughing in their apparent victory. Suddenly an idea formed in his head and he smiled inwardly.  
  
"You asked for it dear brother." Xiefa replied. Her confidence turned into confusion, however, as she saw the glint in his eye. Without warning, he closed his eyes and chanted something incoherent to the four standing near the water's edge.  
  
Syaoran opened his eyes and stared at his sisters. They gasped as they saw a luminous white glow light up his normally amber gaze. "I hope those dresses aren't too expensive." He said with a wolfish grin. "Feng Hua Zhao Lai!"  
  
Fuutie knew what was going to happen but it was too late. Bracing herself for the impact, she closed her eyes and screamed. Soon, all four of Syaoran's sisters were blown off shore and into the lake. Four indignant screams could be heard a few seconds later.  
  
"Xiaolang! How could you! I spent hundreds on this dress!"  
  
"My hair is ruined!"  
  
"Just wait until-"  
  
They were all shocked into silence as Syaoran started laughing. It started as a small contained chuckle but the at the looks on their faces he couldn't help it. He burst out laughing until it hurt and he had to hold his sides to contain himself. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.  
  
"I thought haha tha- hahaha you said tha- haha I was too hehehe serious!" Syaoran choked out between fits of laughter. The four were stunned to see their little brother throw away all aspects of self-control. Seeing their faces, Syaoran's mirth increased and he had to submerge himself in the cold water to prevent further outbursts. When he resurfaced, his laughter had died down but his grin did not.  
  
"Don't look so surprised." Syaoran informed them. "Now we're even."  
  
Fuutie recovered from her shock and smiled. "I told you that our brother had it in him!" She announced to the others who were completely soaked. "See! He isn't so cold and heartless as he wants you to think. My opinion is that he's just a big softy." Seconds later she was hit in the face with a huge splash of water. With her long hair clinging to her face, she turned and stared at Syaoran. He just had an impish grin on his face.  
  
"So this is how you want to play Xiaolang!" Fuutie exclaimed grinning evilly. "I think our little wolf needs to cool off." With a nod to the other three, they all charged Syaoran who had the look of abject horror on his face.  
  
******End Flashback******  
  
Fuutie smiled at the memory. It was the first time anybody had ever heard Syaoran laugh. The water fight had lasted all afternoon until the elders came searching for him. Her smile disappeared at the thought of the elders. She knew that the elders felt threatened by her brother. What she didn't know was just how far they were willing to go to neutralize this particular obstacle in their quest for power. She hoped that it wouldn't come to conspiracies.  
  
Looking up, she silently prayed that her brother was all right. A sudden explosion shook her out of her thoughts. Looking around, she was startled to see smoke coming from the right side of the Li mansion. Without thinking, she turned and ran towards the site of the explosion.  
  
Turning the corner, Fuutie froze at the site she saw. The entire right side of the house was blown open. The apparent leader of the attack uttered a sudden war cry as cloaked figures stormed the interior. They were carrying weapons that she didn't recognize but she could feel the magical aura emitted from each of them. The results were devastating. Each shot tore through the frame of the house as if it were made of paper.  
  
Fuutie watched in horror as the members of the once mighty Li clan grimly defend their home. Brave as they were, they were no match for the invaders and their superior weapons. For every spell and incantation chanted, twenty more shots were being fired and each magically found it's target and reduced them to ashes. Fuutie watched helplessly as even the strongest clansmen were gruesomely burnt without remorse. Angry tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
Looking to her right, Fuutie could see Li Xian running towards her. He started to yell something but was cut off by a beam of incandescent light that tore through him. Screaming in agony, his cries of pain were cut short as his body was ripped apart from the inside until only the charred debris remained.  
  
As Fuutie stared in disbelief at what just happened, she saw a cloaked figure appear in front of her. With fury in her eyes, she charged the figure. Before she could reach it, she saw the weapon being leveled at her and could feel the magic charging.  
  
'So this is the end.' Fuutie thought sadly. She closed her eyes and waited for the end but it never came. The voice of the leader saved her from certain death.  
  
"No! Don't kill that one! She's the one the master sent us here to retrieve!" The voice boomed over the battle. Suddenly Fuutie felt something hit her over the head and she fell to the floor. Thoughts swirled inside her mind as she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.  
  
'Xiaolang...Please be safe...' With that final thought she succumbed to the much welcomed darkness.  
  
*******Kinomoto Residence*******  
  
Sakura sat silently as she absently surfed through the television stations in her room. The thoughts of her friend's death were still fresh on her mind and she desperately needed a distraction. A pair of deep amber blue eyes once again invaded her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget his face for a second.  
  
"No matter what happens. I promise I'll bring him back." These were among the last few words he said to her. He did keep his promise she realized. He had sacrificed himself for her well-being.  
  
Tears formed in her eyes as she realized how much he must have cared for her. 'And I never told him how much he meant to me.' she thought sadly. 'Shaolang-kun...I love you...'  
  
******  
  
Eriol flipped through channels in the living room with Tomoyo leaning against him. Touya sat on the recliner on the opposite side of the room. Nobody said much to anyone as the current situation was overwhelming. Occasionally, Eriol would look down and gaze at his love to make certain that she was still there. The previous events shook him more than he let on.  
  
"Turn that back!" Touya's voice shook Eriol out of his thoughts. Eriol jumped at the sudden comment but did as he was told. The screen flickered back to an overhead picture of what looked like a huge structure devastated by an earthquake. A broadcaster's commentary described the situation.  
  
"I'm currently flying over what was once the Li Manor. Unbelievable as it may seem, this destruction you witness was once the home of the wealthy and powerful clan that has led Hong Kong for hundreds of years. Approximately four hours ago, this symbol of prosperity was leveled by unknown means. It is also unknown as to why anyone would destroy this once beautiful estate and brutally murder all of its inhabitants. Investigators are baffled at how the assailants managed to break into this heavily defended sanctum and completely destroy it within minutes. The Hong Kong police say that they arrived within a mere half hour after the attack supposedly commenced but found nothing except charred debris and bodies burned beyond recognition. There were no survivors."  
  
The three stared at the screen in shock. Their mouths hung open as they tried to comprehend the news that had just been delivered.  
  
"Unbelievable..." Eriol said softly after a few minutes. "How could this be happening?"  
  
"Goddamnit!" Touya growled in frustration. "I knew something like this would happen! That bastard Kiryle and his followers won't stop unless- " He was cut off as he saw his sister standing in the doorway with the entire pack of Sakura Cards in her hand.  
  
"There were no survivors." Sakura whispered with her head bowed. "Kiryle has taken everything from me..." She lifted her head and her eyes snapped open. The other three gasped as they saw the fire of determination light up her emerald green eyes.  
  
"He must pay! I won't rest until he's stopped!" Sakura shouted with such fierce determination that the other three couldn't comment. Without another thought, she turned and ran out the door.  
  
  
  
****************  
  
A pair of deep amber eyes opened slowly. As the person looked around his surroundings, he couldn't distinguish one color from another. His vision was still blurry.  
  
"Where am I?" He asked himself as his vision cleared. "Am I dead?"  
  
A soft chuckle snapped him out of his thoughts. Cerulean eyes greeted him as he turned to look for the source. He examined the newcomer with a raised eyebrow. She was easily the second most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her long blonde hair cascaded to her mid back and shimmered in the light. Her full lips and perfect curves made her the epitome of a seductress. Her soft azure eyes twinkled as she gazed over him.  
  
"That will be for you to decide. For now I have a proposition for you my little wolf..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading my story and for any reviews you might give. Any suggestions or comments are appreciated and will be used to further write this fic. 


	14. You Weren't Supposed to Know

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Amora  
  
Chapter 14  
  
You Weren't Supposed to Know  
  
***********  
  
"Welcome to my humble abode Li Xiaolang." The woman said as she led Syaoran out of an endless maze and into a clearing. Syaoran gasped as he saw a huge white granite structure built on a solid marble foundation. Its design rivaled the most beautiful Renaissance structures. As he stared open mouthed at the building, the woman took his hand and led him inside.  
  
As Syaoran recovered from his stupor, he turned to her and narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" He demanded. "And how do you know so much about me?"  
  
The woman looked at him and smiled. "I know many things Xiaolang. I have witnessed the humble beginnings and the recent demise of your clan. You may call me Apsu."  
  
"What! You lie!" Syaoran yelled. "My clan is nowhere near demise and I intend to make sure of it!"  
  
"I have no reason to lie to you Xiaolang. But if you insist on not believing me, I will show you." As Apsu waived her hand, a nearby screen flickered to life. Pictures of the moments before Kiryle's assault appeared.  
  
For the next thirty minutes, Syaoran stared at the screen in disbelief as he witnessed clansmen and family get cut down by mysterious beings. Nobody was spared in the devastation. Those who fought were gruesomely burnt and those who hid were hunted down and killed. As the attack ended and the screen turned black, Syaoran stood speechless.  
  
"No..." Syaoran muttered as he began to recover from his shock. "Okaa-san...Fuutie...Faren...Xiefa...Feimei..." He turned to Apsu and snarled with fury glowing in his eyes. "WHO DID THIS!"  
  
"Your clan was attacked by someone named Kiryle. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants."  
  
"He's going to pay!" Syaoran said vehemently. His normally placid amber gaze burned with barely controlled rage.  
  
"I have a proposition for you Xiaolang. I will help you obtain revenge on the one you seek. He was once my servant but was corrupted by the thought of power. But there is a catch."  
  
Syaoran didn't speak and waited for her to finish talking. His mind was filled with images of how painful a death he could make Kiryle suffer. His ideas ranged from simple decapitation to ancient Chinese torture. A malicious smile appeared on his lips as he thought of the last idea, but he was shaken from his revere by Apsu's voice.  
  
"I can't return you to your original body. It was unfortunately crushed beyond retrieval."  
  
"What! So this isn't my body?" Syaoran exclaimed as he gestured towards himself. Apsu shook her head. "So I'm dead."  
  
"Not exactly. While it is true that you were crushed, I managed to save your essence before it disappeared. We are now in between the living realm and the black beyond."  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened at the revelation. The million tons of rubble crumbling on him actually happened. And now he didn't have a body to use.  
  
"What can you do? And why did you save me?"  
  
Apsu looked him over once before smiling. "As for your first question, I can provide you with a spare body. There is one on the planet that has almost the same spiritual energies of your old one. However, you must share it with the previous owner."  
  
"WHAT! Does that mean I ha-"  
  
"As for your second question," Apsu stated ignoring Syaoran's outburst, "it wasn't your time to die. You have many things you still must do before you can leave the mortal coil. Terrible things will happen if you do not fulfill the tasks set before you."  
  
Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "And what might these many things compose of? Last time I checked, I have no family, only one friend who truly knows who I am, and facing someone whose power is greatly beyond mine."  
  
Apsu chuckled. "Don't be pessimistic Xiaolang. I can assure you that with Clow's reincarnate on your side, things will go much more smoothly. His memory of the past may be muddled, but he is still Clow Reed. Trust in him."  
  
Syaoran was about to reply, but Apsu cut him off. "As for your family, your eldest sister is still alive. She was taken captive when Kiryle attacked your home."  
  
"Fuutie...is still alive?" Syaoran said just above a whisper. The dark shadows in his eyes receded partially and made way for amazement. A second later, the look vanished and fiery determination took its place.  
  
"What will I have to do?" His voice was soft but Apsu could detect a will of iron behind it. "And how much time do I have?" "The first thing is for you to get reacquainted with your new host. It will be his body that you are using after all."  
  
"Reacquainted? You mean I know this person already?"  
  
Apsu nodded. With a wave of her hand, a figure started to materialize across the room. A bright white light engulfed the room and forced Syaoran to shield his eyes. After a minute, the light disappeared and Syaoran's jaw dropped as he recognized who was standing there.  
  
"You're not serious! I have to merge with him?" Syaoran yelled incredulously at Apsu who was looking bemused at his outburst.  
  
"Wha- where am I? I must be drunker than I thought..." A voice interrupted Syaoran's ranting. The figured turned towards him and grinned. "Hey man! I was wondering where you were for a few days."  
  
As Syaoran stared slack jawed at his impromptu roommate, the latter was taking his time admiring his surroundings. His cerulean eyes wandered around until they landed on someone else at the far end of the room and widened. Syaoran traced his line of site to Apsu who was standing there with her arms crossed and an eyebrow arched. Looking back at his roommate, Syaoran could of sworn he saw drool. He snickered at what he was seeing.  
  
"W-Wow!" Harry exclaimed and then turned to Syaoran. "You have more skill than I thought. I gotta give you props for this one man. No doubt this is where you have been for the past few days?"  
  
At Syaoran's nod, Harry's eyes widened even more. "And all this time I thought you were gay! I mean you didn't even pay attention to the looks most of the girls were giving you in school."  
  
Syaoran snorted. "I had someone on my mind." He said simply. Harry's eyes once again traveled to where Apsu was standing and nodded dumbly.  
  
"I see what you mean," he said softly. "I wouldn't pay attention to any of the girls at school either if I was in your position."  
  
"Well we were in a rather...HEATED discussion before you dropped in. I believe the subject was how to use my body for our cause." Syaoran said with a smirk.  
  
Harry grinned like an idiot at the last statement. "Geez. I guess I have a few things to learm from you eh?"  
  
"You have much to learn from him." Apsu spoke for the first time. A small smile adorned her face at the previous exchange. Harry turned to her startled after hearing her voice for the first time.  
  
"Hey! You don't know about my performance! I could very well outla- " Harry started to protest but was cut off.  
  
"Xiaolang's body was perfect. Unfortunately, we now need a replacement." Apsu said ignoring Harry's indignant shouting. Her eyes roamed over the newcomer and he squirmed under her examination. Harry nervously shot Syaoran a glance and was surprised to see amusement instead of jealousy.  
  
"Aren't you angry?"  
  
"Why should I be?"  
  
"Because she is replacing you with me! Aren't you even a little bit upset?" Harry shouted in confusion. Syaoran bit his lip to keep from laughing outright. As Harry continued to gawk at his roommate, he didn't hear Apsu come up to him until she was right next to him. With one swift motion, she reached up and closed his jaw that was threatening to fall to the floor.  
  
"Yes. You shall do nicely." Apsu said as she walked back to the pedestal in the middle of the room. At Harry's bewildered expression, Syaoran couldn't hold in his mirth anymore. He fell on the floor holding his sides in laughter.  
  
"Hey! I don't see anything funny about this situation!" Harry shouted at Syaoran who was still rolling on the floor. "If I were you, I would be pissed! And to think that you've only seen her for the past few days, and she is already discarding you. I didn't know she was THAT kind of woman!"  
  
Syaoran's humor died down a bit and he got up slowly. "I wouldn't insult the goddess of fate by calling her a whore if I were you." He said while sneaking a glance at Apsu who looked amused at the whole scene. She coughed to get Harry's attention.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Apsu, the seer of fates and destinies." She said with a regal tone. Harry gaped at her dumbstruck. His mouth opened and closed like a fish but no noise came out. After a minute of no response, Syaoran went over and slapped him on the back of the head.  
  
"Ow! What did you do that for?"  
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes and pointed towards Apsu.  
  
"Oh... Well you're joking right? I mean there's no such thing as fate or destiny. Just because I'm a little drunk does not mean I'll fall for that crap."  
  
"Pity. I'll just have to prove it to you then." Apsu stated simply. "Your full name is Harry Miguel Venglan. You were born on August 24th, 1984 in Los Angeles California. Your parents are divorced since 1995 and you lived with your mother until you decided to come to Japan. Your blood type is O and you have never liked beer. You prefer hard liquor or namely Captain Morgan's Spice Rum. Tomorrow is the anniversary of your breakup with your first girlfriend, which happened in 1996. You skipped school for a week because of your embarrassment when a certain Amy Hodges turned you down in 9th grade. Do I need to go on?"  
  
Harry simply stared at her with amazement as she listed one fact after another. Most of these facts he never disclosed outside of his family, and here was some woman he had never seen before that knew most of his secrets. "H-how? How do you so much about me?" Harry demanded. His response was a knowing look and smile.  
  
"Just believe her." Syaoran said simply. "It makes the transition go a lot more smoothly."  
  
"Ok... let's just say you are who you say you are. What am I doing here?"  
  
"Do you believe in magic?"  
  
"Sure Li. It's mostly illusions though. I know a few card tricks. It's been a while so I'm a little rusty on the presentation."  
  
"No you baka! I'm talking about spells and elements. Magic is embedded into nature and can be used by people who channel it correctly." Syaoran explained. Harry looked at him like he was crazy.  
  
"Right..." Harry commented dryly. "And I suppose you can set me on fire or throw bolts of lightning."  
  
Syaoran grinned at the last comment. "Of course. Those are among the basic spells that are widely known." He looked over to Apsu who nodded and chanted something under her breath. Instantly, Harry's hair was lit on fire.  
  
"Ahhh!! Put it out! Put it out! I believe you!" Harry shouted as he ran around the room. Grinning evilly, Apsu doused the fire but also drenched Harry from head to toe. He looked up resignedly and looked at Apsu with a mixture of fear and awe.  
  
"So what you said before was true! And I called you a.oh crap."  
  
Syaoran snickered under his breath and Harry glared at him. "And you let me walk right into it!"  
  
"That's enough." Apsu admonished. "You need to know why you are here. I think it'll be easier if I just show you."  
  
As Apsu put a finger to Harry's forehead, images came crashing into his mind. They were memories but of him. They were of his roommate.  
  
We have two new transfer students. One from America and one Hong Kong. Please welcome Harry Venglan and Shaolang Li.  
  
I get to tutor Sakura? Hmm... I guess it couldn't hurt to be her friend. I just wish I could be more.  
  
The reason I'm here is because the elders sent me here to protect the Card Mistres.  
  
We shall meet again Li Xiao Lang!  
  
What have you done to my sister you bastard!  
  
No matter what happens, I promise I'll bring him back.  
  
I promised her something. And now, I'm making sure I keep it.  
  
As the last image faded from his mind, Harry looked shocked at his roommate who was standing there looking perfectly fine.  
  
"But I thought you died!"  
  
"Technically, I am dead. My body was crushed beneath all that rubble."  
  
"But you're standing right there!"  
  
This time Apsu answered him. "We are in the place between the realm of the living and the great beyond. This is Li Xiaolang in spirit. For him to return, he needs a body and unfortunately his own was destroyed. Now we only have one option." She stared at him expectantly.  
  
"Whoa wait a minute! You mean that you want to use my body to bring Li back from the dead?" Harry asked shocked at the revelation. Seeing his dead roommate apparently solid before him was surprising enough. The news that they needed his body as a vessel proved a little much.  
  
"It's for the good of the future timeline." Apsu stated simply. "None of this was supposed to happen. I sent creatures after Xiaolang in attempts to make him stronger and more fitting to assume his role. I wasn't counting on being stabbed by one of my servants."  
  
"Yeah well shit happens." Harry said. "So if Li uses my body, what happens to me?"  
  
"You will still be there. This is not permanent, and he will leave after this situation is taken care of. But in the mean time, think of this as having a co-pilot helping you navigate. Li has outstanding magic and fighting skills and you have your so-called charm that you flaunt so readily. Now put those together and what do you have?"  
  
She was baiting him and he took it. "Wow. Think of all the girls that I could get! You got yourself a deal!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. Apsu shook her head bemused as she nodded in Syaoran's direction. He nodded back and stepped right next to Harry.  
  
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing." Apsu reassured as she saw the anxious faces of the two. She took a hand of each boy and proceeded to chant in a language unknown to either. She then suddenly raised Harry's hand and a white light engulfed both of them. When it disappeared, only Harry was visible.  
  
'Did it work?' Harry thought to himself. He was startled when a voice answered him back.  
  
'It appears so.'  
  
'Ah! You're in my head!'  
  
'Well what did you expect? It wasn't called a mind merger for nothing.'  
  
"If you two are quite through," Apsu interrupted their mental argument, "there are more pressing matters to attend to." Syaoran/Harry nodded.  
  
"As we speak, the Card Mistress is attempting to go to Hong Kong and hunt down Kiryle. She isn't completely healed yet. You must convince her otherwise or there might be dire concequenses."  
  
"We'll go now. How do we get back?"  
  
"Don't worry about that. I'll handle it. Good luck." With a wave of her hand, Syaoran/Harry disappeared. "You'll need it."  
  
End of chapter 14  
  
A/N: Sorry for the LONG wait on this chapter. Inspiration strikes at the most unusual places. This chapter was more of an informational outlet than anything else. Sorry if it was a little boring. Lots of fierce battle in the next few chapters. And definitely another update before Christmas. Thanks for reading and reviewing. 


	15. Second Strike

*I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the original characters.  
  
*Keep in mind that everyone is 17.  
  
  
  
k.c- Yeah, imagine someone else commenting on your actions in your head =P  
  
Raven- Hope this will satisfy your cravings for a while hehe.  
  
sakurakawaiicherry- Well here's a little more. Next part coming soon.  
  
Element 51- Thank you. I'm glad you like it.  
  
Cami- You'll find out in the next chapter =)  
  
OR- Sorry I didn't make it by the 25th.  
  
Katsu-chan- Now where would the plot be if Sakura had an easy life?  
  
starquestor- Once again sorry about not having it out by the 25th.  
  
Destiny Challenged  
  
Amora  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Second Strike  
  
A/N: I'm just going to call Syaoran/Harry Harry from now on, but keep in mind that Syaoran is there in mind if not in spirit.  
  
*****Hong Kong*****  
  
"So glad of you to join us Li Fuutie."  
  
Fuutie turned to the direction of the voice and came face to face with her captor. At first glance, she shivered at how cold his brown eyes were. They were void of all emotion and guarded his secrets zealously. She doubted that even her little brother could look like that if he wanted to. His long coal black hair was tied into a braid and hung down to his lower back. A long and narrow scar adorned his left cheek. The smile he gave her was frigid and showed no compassion or mirth.  
  
"Who the hell are you? And what have you done to my family?!" Fuutie yelled venomously. The last thing she remembered was the attack on her family home and she had no doubt this person in front of her was responsible for the entire thing. If possible, his smile turned colder and she immediately tensed up.  
  
"My name is Kiryle. And you family was...how do I put this? In the way?" He said with a smirk. "And they had to be eliminated. You on the other hand, I have something special planned for." He softly traced a finger lightly across her cheek. Fuutie immediately recoiled from his touch.  
  
"Get the fuck away from me you sick bastard!" Fuutie yelled defiantly and spat in his face. Kiryle laughed and wiped the saliva from his face. "Playing hard to get are we? I like the fiery spirit in a woman." He sneered and with a wave of his hand, Fuutie found herself thrown back and hands chained against the wall. He approached her with a sadistic glint in his eyes.  
  
"You Li's are all the same. The same stubborn streak runs in your blood. Those moronic idiots that you call elders wanted power and would trade anything for it. Look where they ended up." Kiryle said softly as his face was inches from hers. Fuutie's breath was ragged as she struggled valiantly against her restraints. "Join me. Become my wife and I can offer you more than you have ever dreamed of."  
  
"Go to hell!" Fuutie yelled and kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. Kiryle doubled over in pain. Nobody moved for the next minute. The guards stationed at the edge of the doors didn't dare blink as they stared at their prone leader. Slowly, Kiryle rose slowly from the floor, his face contorted with a mixture of pain and anger.  
  
"You stupid bitch!" he shouted and slapped Fuutie so hard that her head jerked backwards on impact. A dull red mark instantly appeared on her cheek. "And I thought you were one of the smart ones! Well let me tell you something. I'm not giving you a choice. There's no escape and no one left to save you."  
  
"You're wrong! Xiaolang and his friends will stop you!" Fuutie exclaimed defiantly. A slow grin started forming on Kiryle's face at her last statement.  
  
"You haven't heard have you?" Kiryle asked smirking. "Your precious Xiaolang is dead."  
  
"What! You're lying!"  
  
"Now why would I do a thing like that? I only tell you this so you don't hold on to false hope. And I must thank you for bringing up your brother's friends. It seems to me that I must dispose of them as well..." Kiryle trailed off. All color drained from Fuutie's face when she realized that he wasn't lying. Xiaolang was really gone. Her last string of hope was cut. She started sobbing openly.  
  
"No...Xiaolang...you can't be dead!" Fuutie cried. She sank against the wall as the fiery resistance left her. Kiryle motioned for one of the guards to approach him.  
  
"Go get me Takara." He ordered. The guard immediately complied and minutes later, a tall dark man entered the room. He approached Kiryle and bowed.  
  
"I've got an important job for you. Our guest here has brought something to my attention. I need various people eliminated in Japan." Kiryle stated. At Takara's nod, he continued. "I need you to go find the Card Mistress and the Clow reincarnation, and dispose of them before they can become a nuisance. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes sir!" Takara bowed again and left quickly. Kiryle turned to the tear faced Fuutie and smiled. "Don't worry." He said while softly wiping away her tears. "Soon it will be all over, and you can have anything you desire if you join me." She didn't respond. "I'll be back in a day. Make up your mind by then."  
  
Fuutie didn't bother watching him leave. She was lost in her own thoughts. How could her little brother be dead? If any Li was a survivor, it would be him. He never gave up no matter what the cost. If that girl that he cared was in danger, there was no way he was going to sit back and let her die. He would intervene somehow and she was sure of it. She just prayed that he truly was alive and well.  
  
******Japan*******  
  
"We have to go after her! She's still not 100 percent!" Eriol exclaimed as Sakura ran out the front door. Touya just slammed his fist into the wall and groaned.  
  
"Don't you think I know that already?" he demanded. The situation was grim and they didn't need any more theatrics but he couldn't help himself as he screamed in frustration. "You know as well as I do that my sister is the most stubborn person on the planet! What makes you think that she isn't miles away already? She could be flying to Hong Kong at this very damn moment!"  
  
Eriol suddenly tensed as he felt a familiar aura nearby. He paled noticeably as Touya continued his ranting without paying attention. He tried to dismiss the feeling as something else but it wouldn't go away. It suddenly clicked in his mind of who it was.  
  
"Kami! It's Syaoran! He's not dead!" Eriol shouted in disbelief interrupting Touya's frustrated mumbling. "But that's not possible! We saw the building collapse on him right after he teleported us out!"  
  
"What! The kid? Why can't that gaki leave my sister alone?" Touya growled menacingly and clenched his fists. Eriol rolled his eyes in frustration before heading outside.  
  
"Come on you baka! He's near where Sakura is. He can probably talk her out of going!" Eriol shouted back. "Hurry up!"  
  
Touya reluctantly left his place near the table and glanced at Tomoyo. She was sleeping peacefully it looked as if she didn't want to be disturbed. Without another thought, he raced out of the house and followed Eriol.  
  
As they ran, Touya heard a far off explosion. Eriol grimaced next to him as they ran towards the source. "She's in trouble!" he heard Eriol shout before it was drowned out by another explosion. Adrenaline took over his system as he raced off to save his sister.  
  
*****Tomoeda Harbor*****  
  
Sakura panted as she finally reached the harbor using the dash card. It wouldn't be long now until she arrived in Hong Kong. That bastard Kiryle will pay for what he did.  
  
'Shaolang-kun...' she thought sadly. How she wished she could once again just drown in his intense gaze. She remembered how he had held her and comforted her. His aura wrapped around her and made her feel incredibly safe and secure. She wanted so badly to have realized what she felt before he had gone on that rescue mission. He had sacrificed his life to save her brother, and she couldn't even figure out how she truly felt about him until it was too late.  
  
'I love you...and now it's too late' Sakura thought bitterly as a few tears escaped her defenses and slid down her cheeks. She pulled out the fly card and held it in fierce determination. 'For you Shaolang-kun...'  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" a cold voice interrupted her concentration. Sakura turned sharply and saw a large burly man standing a few meters to her left. His face contorted into a sneer as he watched her summon her key. "And what do you think you're doing with that?" With a wave of his hand, a beam of energy shot towards Sakura and knocked her key from her grasp. She attempted to grab it, but it flew directly into Takara's hands.  
  
"Looking for this?" Takara taunted as he waved her key mockingly in front of him. Sakura clenched her fists when he slowly approached her. "Not very tough without this are you?" He was about to attack when a sudden burst of flame hit him from the side.  
  
"Ouch! What the hell?!" Takara yelled in surprise as he was lightly scorched. He looked over and saw a majestic lion creature perched on top of a building.  
  
"Kero-chan!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. Kero growled in response and leapt from where he was standing. Takara jumped aside just in time as a moment later, a sharp claw descended where he just was.  
  
"You stupid animal!" He yelled and once again jumped aside as another fireball scorched the ground beside him. "Enough of this!" Takara raised his hands as Kero charged again. With a quick incantation, a black translucent sphere materialized around Kero and trapped him inside.  
  
While Takara was busy dealing with the flying lion, he didn't notice someone sneaking up behind him and stealing the key. Sakura noticed and stared in bewilderment. What was her classmate from Seijou doing here? It was Harry, the transfer student who had been Li Shaolang's friend. Her heart contracted painfully as she thought of Shaolang.  
  
Suddenly she was snapped out of her thoughts when she found her key dangling in front of her face for her to take. "What?" she asked trying to play dumb. He couldn't know about her powers could he? Harry sighed and just shoved it into her hand.  
  
"Come on Kinomoto-san. While your friend keeps him busy, finish him off!" He whispered fiercely trying not to draw Takara's attention from Kero. Sakura stared at him in wonder.  
  
"But how did you-"  
  
"Never mind that! Just use surprise to your advantage while you still have it." Sakura nodded and summoned the thunder card. A bolt of lightning struck Takara when he wasn't expecting it and he was thrown into a nearby tree. Getting up and slightly dazed, he turned his full attention on Sakura.  
  
"What how did you-" he said then saw the blonde teen standing next to her. "You! You stole the key from me! You'll pay for that."  
  
Harry smirked at the fuming Takara who glared at him in return. "I'm sure I will." He said with a grin. He materialized his sword and got into his battle stance. Sakura's jaw dropped open as she saw her classmate perform magic. In the instant that his sword appeared, his aura flared. It was the same comforting green that she had come to love.  
  
Before she could pursue that train of thought, she was again interrupted by Takara's incantation. Magical spikes flew towards them and she did the first thing that came to her mind.  
  
"Shield!" Sakura shouted and instantly a magical barrier harmlessly deflected the spikes. To her left, she saw Harry mutter something under his breath. Bolts of lightning hit Takara but it didn't have nearly the impact of the first electrical attack. In the next few minutes, lightning, ice, and fire were hurled at Takara but with little or no effect.  
  
"Sakura! It's not working! We have to try something else!" Harry shouted at her while ducking another blast of energy aimed at him. Sakura nodded and pulled out her wand.  
  
"Sword card!" she commanded and Harry caught on to what she was doing. He quickly threw another bolt of lightning before looking over to Sakura. She nodded and they both charged.  
  
Takara was still busy fending off the magical attack and was completely unprepared for the physical assault. With a surprised shout, he was suddenly cut down mercilessly by two swords. Sakura was fueled by a deep desire to seek revenge. Revenge on those that hurt her and took away the one that she loved. She hacked and slashed at the battered form before her faster than even the grand masters of fencing could see. Her adrenaline rush was contagious as Harry found himself doing the exact thing. Within seconds, the pitiful screams that filled the air died down and all that remained was pieces of Takara's lifeless body.  
  
Sakura was still breathing heavily as the reality of what she had done sank in. She took one look at her bloodied hands and dropped the sword in shock. Harry quickly hugged her to him as she started sobbing.  
  
"Oh god...what have I done..." Sakura cried into Harry's chest as he tried to comfort her. "Shhh...it's ok. He was Kiryle's servant." Harry tried to reassure her.  
  
'Aww Li, you're going all soft.' Harry mentally said to Syaoran who was now comforting Sakura. He growled in response.  
  
'Shut up!' he screamed back mentally. 'Okay! I was just kidding. You don't have to get all pissed.' Harry thought with a mental shrug before once again fading into the background. This was something Li would have to take care of.  
  
Syaoran looked around at the battered body of Takara, Sakura crying in his arms, the now untransformed Kero that lay unconscious nearby, and Touya and Eriol rushing towards them and sighed. It would take a lot of explanations to clear this up. He had a long day ahead of him.  
  
"Hey you! What the hell have you done to my sister!"  
  
Yes, a long day indeed.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry for the delay of a few days, but school has really been busy torturing us students. It isn't a pretty site. Well I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Stick around for #16 and please R/R. Thanks. 


End file.
